Cecil's Muse
by Zara Allegra Vespertine
Summary: Tokiya is shocked to learn that his grandfather, Cecil Aijima Ichinose, is living with a young woman named Haruka as his mistress for the past three years. The news came to him when his grandfather died suddenly, and he is designated as Haruka's guardian. What secrets is she hiding? And why did she chose to stay and live in their ancestral mansion? Chapter 6 is up. Temporary Hiatus
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hi guys, it's me again. Here's a sneak preview of a new series I'm currently working on. It's kinda short, but I hope this one is enough to whet your appetite for more. :D**

**Prologue**

Tokiya Ichinose's expression was unreadable as he tried to absorb the investigator's report he was holding.

The manila folder he was holding was unusually thin. He was used to holding thick compilation of reports when doing his review of his family's accounting. Aside from a three-page summary, a few pages of photocopied documents and a very thin bank statement account he was not sure whether he should be happy or cautious that the person he had assigned to be investigated has very little or no background information at all.

For a few minutes, he contemplated what his next move will be. But he is having a hard time coming to a decision. So he decided to be frank to the investigator sitting in front of him.

"Let me get this straight, Kobayashi", he addressed the middle-aged man in front of him, sitting quietly as he sipped his coffee, waiting for him to speak. "Are you trying to tell me that this is all the information you can dig up with all the allotted time I have given you? A full month and this is all I get? A three-page summary?"

"Mr. Tokiya," the man sat up straight and looked him straight in the eye. "I am good with my work, and I agree that the time limit is more than what is recommended. When I called you two weeks ago for a time extension, it's not because there is too much to investigate."

Kobayashi cleared his throat and went on, "It is because I could not find much information about the woman you have assigned me to investigate. I tried to check back on every information that I was provided upon: her name, last name, where she claims she came from, what she had been doing the last three years, bank accounts, habits and patterns, and what is her relationship with your grandfather. I am as stumped as you are, to be honest" he scratched his beard.

Tokiya looked down again. He could not find any faults from the guy. After all, he was highly recommended by his close friends. And he did his job thoroughly given the time frame.

"Now, if you will excuse me" Kobayashai stood up and bowed politely, "do let me know if you still need some clarifications and I would be happy to double check them out for you." And with that, he swept out of the room, leaving the young man frowning over the piece of paper he was holding.

For a few seconds, Tokiya tried to re-read the few paragraphs. But he is still as puzzled as ever. Sighing, he tossed the papers on the table in front of him and he wheeled his chair around to stare at the window behind his private office.

It was autumn, and the trees behind his office building have turned into vivid shades of purple, red and yellow. Below street level, the late afternoon traffic is coming into full swing, as cars and public buses jostled their way along the street towards their intended destination.

His grandfather, Cecil Ichinose had died three months ago of a heart attack. He was a recluse for the past five years, devoting most of his time teaching selected private students at his leisure and personally overseeing the management of their family's prestigious Concert Hall, located downtown. He had left the management of their family's other businesses and dealings with him.

A few days after his grandfather's death, the family's solicitors had quickly notified the rest of the family members and gathered them inside the conference room to read out Cecil's last will.

Imagine their shock when the solicitors informed them that the family's ancestral home, _Ville __Dulce__ de __Lys_ shall be inherited by Tokiya on the condition that his muse shall stay under its roof for as long as she wanted to stay. Moreover, since _Cecil__'__s __muse_ is still young, Tokiya shall be its guardian and sole provider until she reaches the age of 21 years old, and able to manage the large amount of money he had settled on her.

And the amount of money that his grandfather has set aside for his _muse?_ A cool $30 million dollars.

It was a paltry sum compared to the vast holdings the Ichinose empire are currently holding. They have holdings in the music industry: recording studios, distribution of music in the mainstream market, talent agencies, a private music academy.

Tokiya's eyes narrowed coldly. It was frustrating for him, the way things turned out. His grandfather is a strong-willed man with a very sound mind and a short temper. For years he had quietly built up an empire that is worthy of a Hollywood film plot. And he does have his share of women during his tempestuous youth. But they all know he is faithful to his wife, their grandmother, who died 10 years ago.

They do not want to believe that their grandfather seduced a young woman and is keeping her as his mistress for the past remaining three years of his life. It is too outrageous to think about it.

Tokiya swiveled around on his chair and glanced down at the name on top of the summary report. He is not sure how to react when his appointed time to meet her tomorrow morning comes.

_Who__ are __you __Haruka__ Nanami?_ He asked himself for what seemed like a hundredth time since that morning.

**oOoOoOo**

**A/N: So. How is it? I'm afraid I cannot upload Chapter 1 yet, as I intend to focus on the last Chapter of A Scarf, a Lace garter and a Guessing Game, and the subsequent chapters of Underage Love. I hope you guys check them out, as I flesh out the outline for this new fanfic series. :D**

**Mind leaving a review? Any violent reactions? Like it or hate? Take a vote!**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Amazingly, I managed to finalize this chapter too! Hurray! But I'm still nowhere in finishing Chapter 25 of Underage Love (cries). **

**I took a 180 degree turn on this latest chapter of Cecil's Muse. I was originally thinking that I would make this as a romance-comedy thing. But then I'm horribly bad in writing humor. So instead, I made a complete change on the main outline of the story by making this a gothic-romance theme series. Who loves gothic romance?**

**Enjoy. **

**Chapter 1- Travel in Time**

"_Hey cousin, I heard you are going to visit the chateau?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Looking forward to it?"_

"_Note really." _Pause. Grimace._ "I have no choice. I need to tidy up a few of Grandpa's conditions."_

"_Oh." _There was some clattering noise in the background and he winced a bit as the sound hurt his ears. What the hell was Otoya doing?

"_Sorry about that. I almost dropped my guitar." _His cousin Otoya apologized profusely. _"So, is it true? About Gramps keeping an underage mistress? Aunt Imari was huffing all about it when I met her and Cousin Tomo-chan for lunch yesterday."_

Grunt.

His cousin whistled. _"Way to go gramps! What a nice way to die! With someone young by his side." _He chuckled.

"_Not funny, Toya. She gets to stay at the mansion until she wants to leave. And she has money to burn. Money that our grandfather earned." Who the hell does she thinks she is?!_

He could almost hear his cousin shrug at the other end of the line. As the head of the Ichinose Group of Companies, he sometimes envied his cousin for being able to relax amidst pressure. He and Otoya were of the same age, however, he was born a couple of months earlier than his cousin. The result of this was he immediately became the next male heir in line to handling the vast business empire founded by their grandfather. All of his grandfather's children are female, except for Tokiya's father who was the only male child and the youngest.

Technically, his father should be the one who was supposed to inherit the management of their various holdings. But a boating accident killed his father some twenty years ago. And his grandfather was forced to stay as the Chairman until he reaches of age, a position which he accepted five years ago, when he resigned from his post and assigned his eldest grandson to take over his place.

It was also the start of his grandfather's lifestyle of living as a recluse. They never even bothered to question his decision of keeping to himself. Everyone has just assumed he wanted to be left alone, preferring to grieve and mourn the loss of his wife, their grandmother, ten years prior. Besides, their relationship with their grandfather is at best, could be describe as civil. He is not as affectionate as one would expect from a grandfather like him, given his busy schedule in overseeing the conglomerate. It was their grandmother who was the one who made sure their family relationships run smoothly.

"_I bet you a hundred bucks you're on your way to the chateau right now." _His cousin said, interrupting his thoughts.

"_I am." _He was not looking forward to it.

"_Better you than me." _Otoya muttered darkly.

He could not blame his cousin on this. He knew each member of the family resented the changes in the will, some are a bit angry with his grandfather for including a stranger in the family's share of inheritance.

After a few more minutes of talk regarding the reports his cousin needed to hand over to him by the end of the week, he said goodbye before pressing the button on his bluetooth headset. He must remember to send a message to his secretary to arrange a free slot at the end of the week to meet him.

He maneuvered expertly on the empty road leading up to a small hill where a few hundred cypress trees and weeping willows barely covered the white roof of their ancestral home, just beyond the procession of fire trees planted decades ago on each side of the gravel road. The trees' blood red flowers make a striking contrast against the white-washed walls of the chateau.

The sleek 1964 Jaguar E-type purred its engine like a satisfied cat as he slowly stopped in front of the massive driveway, before shutting it off and pulling his keys from the ignition. He got out from the driver's seat, and removed his dark aviator sunglasses to drink in the majestic view of the chateau that has been their ancestral home for the last 150 years.

He had always viewed the _Ville Dulce de Lys_ as something that sprung out of a book. The grandiose house was both built to inspire awe and wonder.

The builder of the mansion, the only son of a wealthy landowner and his ancestor, went overseas and stayed in Europe to study, fell in love with a daughter of a French baron and brought her back to Japan. In honor of their marriage, he built the chateau and called it _Dulce de Lys_ or _gentle lily_, for that was the name of girl he brought home: Lily.

_Strange how it can be_

_Dark for you _

_Is dawn for me_

_Time has intervened_

_Summer wind is autumn breeze_

For a few decades, the mansion withstood the test of time, only once falling into neglect and despair during WWII, when their family's textile business was forced to shut down, and they lost a fortune. That was during the time his grandfather, Cecil was growing up. When he was in his teens, he set out on his own, joined a trading ship vessel and was gone for a few years before coming back to build his own shipping company. By the time he was in his thirties, he sold the business, made a tidy profit, and went on to invest in various stocks. At first, his moves were deemed crazy at that time. Who in their right mind would sell such a successful company to buy a bunch of "worthless" bonds in electronics and music recording?

But a few years later, his grandfather hit the jackpot when his invested companies began churning out vinyl records for the masses, with recorded music ranging from folk, to classical, traditional, jazz and blues. And from this, his venture took off. Cecil Aijima Ichinose may not be as synonymous with music as with the trademark products of today like Sony or iTunes. But he was responsible for bringing affordable musical entertainment to the homes of most families in the country. And thanks to his keen aptitude on what would be the future of the music industry, he began honing many of today's popular and legendary entertainers with their vocal and musical skills. In return, he got exclusive rights to their music, partaking a respectable chunk out of their earnings and royalties, even as they became even more successful than he had envisioned.

As he walked slowly towards the grand portico of the house, the gravel crunching beneath his Italian leather shoes was the only sound echoing across the vast lawn. He drank in the mansion's relatively eerie glamour, and he could not help but feel the chill skating down his spine. He loved this old building as much as he hated it. Outsiders may consider him as a lunatic for wanting to hate such a beautiful place, but he had experienced some chilling encounters inside the mansion when he was growing up together with his cousins.

There it was again, that very faint smell of lilies of the valley. It was both intoxicating and repulsive, that for a moment, his step faltered, and beads of cold sweat formed at the back of his neck.

_What the fuck is wrong with you, Ichinose? _He scolded himself. He is a grown man of twenty-seven years, surely he should have outgrown the feeling of uneasiness that has always assailed him everytime he sets foot on this place.

As he continued walking, he found himself being swamped with memories, forcing him to close his eyes momentarily. When he opened them again, sepia-toned lenses clouded his vision. He glanced down at his feet and found himself wearing small, dusty leather shoes of his childhood.

_Tokiya._

He looked up to his right and found his father's smiling face. It was the same smiling face that he always remembered whenever he tried to conjure up the image of his father. And he remembered this scene so vividly. It was a few months before his death. He was seven years old all over again.

_Where are we, father?_

_Where? Why we are here at the mansion of course! We are visiting your grandfather and grandmother. It is the Obon festival and we must pay respects to our ancestors. Grandpa Cecil wants us to be home on occasions such as these._

He nodded to himself. He knew what an Obon festival is. It's what his mother had explained to him. Three days of festival to honour their dead ancestors and visit their graves. The whole family gathers to celebrate, and his Uncle Ryou and Aunt Kotone is in charge of handling the festivities held at the revered local temple. That means his cousin Otoya is already here.

Filled with renewed energy, he began to tug at his father's hand, who was busy instructing the household help in carrying the luggage from the car they had driven.

_Come on, father! _He urged. _I want to see Otoya now!_

_Hush, Tokiya. _His mother said. _We must pay respects to your grandparents first. _

He kept quiet as they made their way inside. Servants bowed to greet them; the old butler Shigeru-san leads them to the main parlor, where his grandparents were waiting inside with refreshments. Most of his relatives were already inside: cousins, a few more aunts and uncles, even the other extended relatives of his grandparents. The whole room was buzzing with their murmurs and chatters. Amidst the noise, the clatter of fine china and the tinkling of wineglasses made him bored. Somewhere at the back of his mind, his grandmother's old gramophone was playing.

As soon as he had made the obligatory greetings (his stern-looking grandfather is still intimidating) and hugs to his grandmother (she looked distracted tonight), he let go of his father's hand and began hunting for his cousin Otoya, who was probably somewhere around the house.

He knew most of the servants would either be busy serving the guests, or preparing dinner, while the rest are probably assisting on the preparations for the festival and the party to be held on the last day. Otoya must have been bored too, and he suspects he must be killing his time by exploring the upper rooms.

He had stayed here before for extended periods of time. Everytime his parents went to Europe for a few months, he and his other cousins stayed here with their nannies, driving them up to the wall with their mischief, with him playing the mastermind. And almost always, he manages to wriggle his way out of the punishments.

Making his way up the grand marble staircase, he began to hunt his cousin. Some parts of the house were kept locked, and the whereabouts of the keys forgotten. But he knew the mansion's every nook and cranny, except for the sealed rooms. From the grand staircase the east and west wing meets underneath a crystal chandelier dimly lit with tiny electrical lightbulbs. Their ancestral home was one of the first in this part of the countryside to be installed with electricity and running water. It was a status symbol of how much power and influence their family has. But of course, a boy of his age wouldn't know that. He simply knew that his family has everything.

He decided to go to the west first. That's where the private sitting room and library is. Knowing his cousin's preference of tinkering with musical instruments, he is likely testing the piano that always sits at the sitting room.

But as soon as he turned, his footsteps faltered, and he gulped. The long hallway before him seemed even more gloomy than usual. The sun has already set, the remaining lights illuminating the exquisitely carved columns, throwing its long dark shadows across the hallway. Even while the heavy damask curtains were drawn open to let in the lily of the valley-scented air, the space before him seemed too quiet, the lights too dimmed. Somewhere in a few obscure corners, the lights were dead, and needed to be replaced. If his grandmother knew about this neglect, the servant who is in charge of this section of the house would certainly be reprimanded harshly.

_Should he go back or march on ahead? _But the thought of spending time with the old people made him irritable.

_Quit being a chicken! _He told himself, clenching his tiny fists into his pockets. Otoya is waiting for him at the end of the hallway. If he managed to cross this gloomy hallway, by all means, he can also do it too.

_Here goes nothing._

He took a step forward, his eyes wandering around, trying not to imagine that the dark crevices are not hiding places for monsters. _Why did he ever paid attention to those scary bedtime stories his nannies always tell him whenever he has been naughty?!_

Taking another step, he let out his breath, when he realized he was holding it. How ridiculous he must have been. He's a boy and boys don't get scared. If his cousin Tomo-chan sees him almost trembling in fright, she'd probably tease him with every chance she gets.

Determined to reach the end of the hallway, he continued on, counting his steps so as to distract his mind. Really, it's just a short walk. Nothing will grab him from the dark.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, just as a cold gust of wind blew in from one of the open French windows to his left. His teeth clamped down automatically, almost biting his tongue to prevent himself from screaming out loud.

The young woman standing next to him was so pale and quiet, he thought she was some sort of statue on display.

With huge eyes full of shock, he watches her slowly turn to face him, her eyes clear and bright, the color of his father's expensive gold watch. Her long reddish-gold hair looks slightly unkempt and curly, rustling gently against the wind. The thin, white dress she was wearing looked too plain compared to the ones his mother often wore; but on her, the dress seemed simple, a bit more elegant than what the servants usually wore on their weekend off.

_Can I meet you in between?_

_Will you be there?_

_Let me hold you sight_

_Unseen still in the air_

Her lips twitched, as if she was torn between smiling and frowning. Her hand slowly went up to reach him, and he took a step back, shrinking from her gaze. _A statue coming to life. _A soft, barely audible, sad sigh escaped from her colorless lips, and he wondered whether he was imagining it. Not wanting to see what she intends to do to him, he shuts his eyes closed, thoughts of his mom and dad, his beloved cousins, and his faithful dog filling his head.

He had heard of the term _kamikakushi _often being whispered by the servants whenever certain odd news of people disappearing from the countryside reaches into their ears. Is he the next victim then? Will the gods take him away too? Was it because he was such a naughty boy?

It seemed like an eternity has passed before he dared opened his eyes again. When he looked about him, the wind has died down; the lights flickered more brightly; the strong lily of the valley scent seemed to have faded away.

And the woman next to him was gone.

"Master Tokiya." The deep, rumbling voice on his right jerked him awake, and Tokiya blinked. Shigeru-san, old, yet still as spritely as he remembered was looking at him, concerned etched on his wrinkled face.

"Is anything wrong, young master?" he asked.

Tokiya stared back, memorizing the old man in front of him, from his pure white hair, crisp black butler's uniform, to his polished leather shoes.

_Where the hell did that come from? _He frowned slightly; hating the way the house was getting on his nerves. That childhood memory happened so long ago that he had almost forgotten about it until now. He can put it up as experiencing the effects of not laying eyes on the building for quite some time. The mansion's grandeur must be having some sort of effect on his buried memories.

He glanced up again, noting the tinted windows seemed to wink against the late afternoon sun before turning back to face the old butler.

"I'm fine, Shigeru-san. How are you?" he managed to answer.

"Still in good health, young master." He replied, gesturing at himself. "I can still watch over this house for a few more years before my son can take over my place." He chuckled.

"Is she inside the house now, Shigeru-san?" he suddenly asked, remembering why he was there in the first place. He needed to stay focus and deal with the business on hand.

"If you are referring to Miss Haruka, I believe she is resting in her room. I would ask one of the servants to inform her to come down and greet you properly once you have rested." He answered. "You are staying for a few days, I hope?"

"Of course." Observing her will take a few days. He needed to assess what kind of mistress his grandfather has taken a fancy of, before he comes back to Tokyo and call for a meeting with the rest of his family.

"Excellent." The old man turned to smile at him affectionately. The uneasiness he was feeling melted away. Shigeru-san, though old, reminds him of normalcy. Whatever strange feeling he was experiencing earlier was just his mind's reaction for delving in too much on his family's ancestral home and history. He was probably feeling slightly protective and selfish given the fact that someone besides the family is using it as her home.

"Welcome home, Master Tokiya." Shigeru-san said, leading the way before him.

**oOoOoOo**

**A/N: Once again, I thank you for your continued support on my works and hope you continue following and posting reviews on my other works too. Please let me know how I can improve this story. Lyrics are courtesy of Kate Havenevick's Travel in Time from her Melankton album.**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: My friend pointed out to me that Haruka should be the one who is doing most of the POVs on my attempt at gothic romance for Cecil's Muse. I've only ready very few novels, and most of them **_**are**_** from a heroine's POV. But then, why should I change it? I mean, a guy's POV is a good change, at least for this story's case. Plus she pointed out that I have the tendency to make him a bit on the wimpy side. **

**Err.. Okay, I kinda understand what she's trying to say. So, for those of you who don't like the way I portray Tokiya here, sorry. I guess he's a bit more OOC than I have originally intended. **

**As for my grammar and spelling, I have nothing to say, except if I missed out anything, post a review please. I'm always sleep deprived when I'm doing proof-reading on my updates. Enjoy. **

**Chapter 2- Sleepless**

Tokiya speared some asparagus from his plate, placed it on his mouth, and chewed slowly, his mind elsewhere. He should have opted to dine in his private sitting area that night. But he was expecting the girl to join him for dinner.

Exactly 6:30pm, the dinner gong sounded, and he tapped his foot impatiently against the plush carpet underneath. At the last minute, Shigeru-san appeared and apologized on the girl's behalf, who had just informed him that she would like to dine alone, and could he please excuse her. She promises to meet him at breakfast tomorrow morning.

He was seething inside. _The nerve of that woman! I bet she is already doing a mile-long list of what to do with the money she weaseled out of grandpa, when he has barely gone cold in his graveyard._

Until now, he is still wondering how she managed to hoodwink the old man into giving her a lot of money. He could not accept that the his grandfather's judgment and mind had deteriorated so much in the last few years he lived alone. But then again, it was his own fault for not visiting his grandfather often since taking the reigns of the family business full time. He was always swamped with meetings, sometimes jetting off to other countries every few weeks or so. He could have stayed here when he needed a break and kept an eye on him.

But it was too late now, he sighed inwardly.

The manservant took his empty salad plate and replaced it with another plate containing his main dish of steamed chicken in cream sauce. He wished now he had invited his cousin to come over with him. He hated eating alone in the formal dining room. The long table with its empty chairs looked very much depressing and forlorn. Shigeru-san had placed him at the head of the table where his grandfather used to sit. It is traditional for every visiting member of the family to eat at the formal dining room for lunch or dinner, regardless whether they are alone or not. Perhaps now that he is the family's patriarch, he could do something about revamping the tradition.

He let his eyes wander on his surroundings. The room looked bright and cheery enough with its white painted paneled walls and gilded mirrors, designed to make the room look even bigger than meets the eye. Soft, butter yellow curtains billowed gently in the wind. As it is still the height of summer, Shigeru had the servants opened the windows to let the cool night breeze come into the rooms. It brought in scents of freshly cut grass and lemon growing from the orchards.

Tokiya poked at his chicken, sighed with resignation and began to eat them in small bites, appetite already diminishing. He feels weird staying in this house. Every nook and cranny he sees reminds him of his childhood. After his father died, his mother seemed inclined to spend less time visiting the mansion. He supposed it was because the house reminded her about his father too much. Ever since then, they would only come to the house when it is absolutely necessary. Eventually, when his mother died, he felt slightly relieved to know she won't be so lonely anymore.

Finishing his dinner quickly, he summoned the servant to clear the plates and decided to retire for the night.

For someone like him who runs a successful business conglomerate, the day won't be finished until he has managed to read a few of the investment reports he brought with him. As soon as he emerged from the adjoining bathroom of his bedroom, he pulled on a clean pair of cotton pajamas. He usually sleep in the nude, but as he is staying in a different home, for modesty's sake, he made sure that he has spare sleeping clothes kept at the mansion.

Again, as what was dictated in the will, Shigeru initially wanted to put his things in the master bedroom, but he insisted on using his old room. He felt it rude to intrude upon his grandfather's private sanctuary, though it is only proper for him to occupy it in the first place as he is now the official master of _Ville Dulce de Lys. _

His bedroom is a few doors down the main one, and its balcony shares with another bedroom, usually occupied by his cousin Otoya whenever they are in town for special family gatherings. His parents wanted to separate their bedrooms and make it difficult for the two of them to communicate especially at nighttime. Two growing, rambunctious middle-school boys tend to get into all kinds of trouble, and God knows how much planning went through each pranks they played on visiting relatives they don't particularly like.

He noted the old butler's slight reluctance when the maids transferred his things.

"Lady Haruka stays in the bedroom next to yours, as she prefers the view of the rose labyrinth situated right next to the house," the old man said, carrying his briefcase, as he guided him towards his rooms. "And the light at the south side is best."

"I see." So that explains the butler's persistence in the first place. For some reason, he felt annoyed and a bit on the possessive side. The young woman has even extended her command with the servants and probably overruled their protestations against her use of the room. A guest bedroom at the west side would have sufficed for her. But he quickly realized that she probably chose the room as it is the closest one to the master bedroom.

_The easier to be near the wielder of power, the better, _he thought darkly.She can complain all she want if she finds it offensive having her bedroom and balcony sharing with his. And he won't give a damn. It's his room in the first place. Besides, a reason for complaint might be enough to send her seeking an audience with him. He would have the satisfaction of turning her away and letting her fume for a few more days. Or even better, he can test her to see if she would next try to seduce him now that he is the new designator of their family legacy.

"Two can play this game", he said to himself with satisfaction as he leaned back on his chair, propped open his laptop, and began to scan through the report, taking down notes as he scrolled down the screen.

It was already past midnight when he decided to call it a night. Flipping his laptop shut, he took of his reading glasses and placed them on the table. Rubbing his eyes, he shuffled to his bed, the thick carpet underneath his foot muffled the noises he made. He clicked the lights off and settled underneath the bedcovers, closing his eyes.

Seconds tick by.

Tokiya opened his eyes and stared at the ornate ceiling above him, blurred by the white mosquito netting fastened at the bed posts, cascading around his bed. His mind, though tired seemed even more alert, his senses hyper sensitive tonight.

_Plop. Plop. _

Without really thinking, he sat up and swung his legs off the bed and headed to the bathroom connected to his room. Flicking the light switches on, he reached out and twisted the polished copper taps close. The water ceased its incessant dripping. The sound was annoying enough. He took a step into the adjoining shower and claw-footed bathtub, checked the tap mixers to make sure they were closed too.

When he went back into his bed, he nodded in satisfaction and prepared to sleep.

He turned to his side.

He wondered whether tomorrow, he could finally meet the vixen. He still cannot believe she had the audacity not to show her face during dinner. Irritated that he is affected by her poor display of behavior during his first day, he scrunched up his eyes, impatient for sleep.

He felt the temperature turn slightly chilly, and he burrowed underneath the bedcovers appreciatively.

A few minutes must have passed, sleep still eluding him.

Tossing and turning, he ground out his teeth in annoyance. His eyes flew open.

Beside him, the alarm clock's _tick-tick _seemed distracting enough, and he briefly considered smashing the tiny box to bits and pieces.

Damned it! What the fuck is wrong with him? He's acting like a bewildered girl, restless in the dark. All those tiny sounds seemed to be magnified in the middle of the room's deafening silence; the slightest dip in temperature made the hairs on his skin stand on alert. All his senses seemed attuned to something he could not explain yet.

Deciding that he needed more time to make himself sleepy, he stood up again and made his way out of the room. The framed sliding doors slid noiselessly on one side and he stepped on the balcony, his sleepers barely making a sound.

Outside, the full moon above is shining brightly, taking on a light bluer glow, and somewhat ghostly. The dark clouds partly covering it, moved ever so slowly, until finally the sky before him cleared. He wanted to kick himself for being skittish, when he noted that the air feels still. He felt as each passing minute, the temperature around him seemed to drop, even though its still the height of summer, and this side of the country is supposed to be hot even during the nights.

Tokiya continued to stare at the moon, feeling lulled by its pull.

It was quite sometime before he felt himself finally relaxing a bit. A few more minutes and maybe his body will now cooperate and he will get his much needed rest.

He breathed in the scent of the air, taking in the smell of lemon and grass, a hint of lavender even. He now realized why the temperature is dropping. The occasional summer rain is about to happen, and tonight is the right temperature for a thunderstorm. How could he forget about the signs? He used to be an expert on these things.

He breathed a small sigh of relief and gave a chuckle to himself. He refuse to accept that the strangeness of his surroundings was the result of something spooky brewing in the air. This house is making him think of all the strange things he encountered during the childhood days he spent here. Turning on his heels, he slowly crossed the balcony, ready to go inside.

_Catch me as I fly  
>Passing by at night<br>Watch me as I go, outside  
>It's another world<br>When the moon is high  
>And the walking keeps,<br>Me breathing_

He was already halfway in his bedroom when the rustling of leaves caught his ears. His hands gently gripped the door handle, and his nostrils flared as he took in the new scent wafting his way.

Tokiya Ichinose, the new landlord of _Ville Dulce de Lys, _stopped on his tracks. There was no breeze blowing his way, and yet the hairs at the back of his neck stood up, as his mind processed that there is no way that the scent of the lilies-of-the-valley can travel so fast unless the source is directly behind him. Feeling his heart pounding on his ears, he turned back to check his balcony just in time to see a slip of a girl landing on her feet as she leapt from the stone balustrade.

_Sleepless,  
>I shouldn't be here<br>Sleepless,  
>Twenty-four hours of searching<em>

As if watching the scene before him in a slow motion movie, the girl, the trespasser, whose heavy, curling hair spun in red-gold color covering her face, stood up straight and gave a soft sigh. When she lifted her head up, part of her face was illuminated by the eerie glow of the moon. Tokiya could not stifle the gasp that went out of his mouth, recognizing the girl as having the same features of the ghost he saw several years ago.

Too shock to speak; he can only back up against the door, his spine hitting the heavy frame, holding the thick glass in place.

The girl, in front of him did not even flinched when she saw him. She took one step forward. And when she spoke, it was nothing like the shriek of banshees he was expecting when you suddenly encountered the ghost of your childhood.

"I'm sorry. I did not mean to frighten you or disturb your sleep. This is the fastest way for me to get to my rooms." She gave a gentle smile at him.

He could see her eyes glowing against her white skin. A very unusual color of gold with hints of green specks. Underneath the moonlight, her face look like finely carved marble, bloodless, with only a very faint hint of pink blooming in her cheeks.

"You-you live here?" he ground out in combination of irritation and anger. "I thought you were a trespasser!" he accused her. His pride would not let him say _ghost. _He's not stupid enough to admit to some perfect stranger that he almost jumped out of his skin. The similarities of her face to his phantom were too uncanny and frightening for his taste.

She frowned slightly, her smooth forehead creasing. "I _live _here. And I have no intention of leaving." Yet.

He stared at her, loss for words. _Don't tell me.._

"Allow me to introduce myself." She took a few steps forward, until she was only at an arms length away from him. He could not take his eyes off her face, noting all the small details and trying to compare them against his phantom: the long eyelashes, the scattering of light freckles across her nose, the arching eyebrows. She seemed real, and yet, otherworldly at the same time.

It took all of Tokiya's willpower not to move. His heart still beating rapidly, he bit the inside of his cheek, just to make sure he is not dreaming or even sleepwalking. _Damned it damned it, damned to hell!_

Up close, her eyes look even more luminous, and for a second he is afraid of falling under her spell in case she turned out to be a fey woodland sprite mimicking a human after all. God knows the last thing this place needs to cement its reputation as phantom mansion, are more forest spirits haunting its grounds.

"My name is Haruka Nanami. I believe you are my guardian, Tokiya Ichinose."

**oOoOoOo**

**A/N: Lyrics are courtesy of Kate Havenevick's Sleepless from her Melankton album. Any one who wants to recommend an album that's similar to her works is very much appreciated. I'm torn between Ellie Goulding's sophomore album or Imogen Heap's previous works as another source of song inspiration. Any help?**

**Short chapter here folks. Glad I managed to post this one. Next update will probably be Underage Love or Porcelain. Watch out for it.**

**Reviews=Love.**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Finally. I managed to finish this. Apologies for late uploads. I am extremely busy with reports in my works. I will continue to strive hard to upload as fast as I can, but I hope you understand that I need to set aside some important priorities first. **

**As you all read from my previous notes, I am trying to make this my attempts at experimenting with gothic romance. I do not think my works are great, but I appreciate all your comments and reviews with my upload. For fans of Uta-Pri, the characters I used here may not act according to what each of you envisioned while watching the anime series. So any OOCness is necessary for the story to continue in its path.**

**Spelling and grammar mistakes: I do make an effort to try and make them as correct as can be. However, if you think your English is superior, by all means, drop me a message or a review and I will try to amend them as I see fit. Otherwise, if it's too painful for you to read my English, I can recommend contact lenses. LOL**

**Chapter 3- Serpentine**

_It's another world  
>When the moon is high<br>And the walking keeps,  
>Me breathing<em>

Despite his initial fear at her sudden appearance, Tokiya Ichinose, the new Master of the grand _Ville_ _Dulce de Lys_, felt a hitch on his breath as he beheld the phantom vision before him. He blinked and took a step forward. Up closer than he dared, she looked less ghostly, more real. She was not a woodland sprite, he thought, with slight irritation and embarrassment. Though his hands itched to touch her skin just to make sure of his assessment, he stopped the gesture he was about to make. He could see her pulse beating at the base of her neck, exposed by the modest neckline of the sleeping gown she was wearing.

Haruka Nanami, his grandfather's mistress, looked far younger than what he had envisioned when he first found out about her. He was expecting a woman nearing her twenties, schooled in the arts of lovemaking; why else would his grandfather pick her if she was not good in bed? Only God knows how charismatic Cecil Aijima Ichinose can be even in his advance age. Instead, the female before him looked like a girl barely out of high school with her youthful looks. How old is she then?

His eyes travelled down, noting the sheerness of the stark white gown she was wearing, outlining a shapely body that contrasts against her young face: the ample swelling of her chest, the tapering of her waist, the flaring of her hips and the long legs.

He felt a surge of heat in his groin. It's no wonder that his grandfather was taken in by her! The notorious mistress has an ethereal face and the body of a seductress. Any woman with grand ambitions would know that she has all the tools she needs to climb up the social ladder.

Tokiya curled his fists in anger. The interloper before him has no right to ingratiate herself in the family by taking advantage of his grandfather's kindness. She is nothing but a common slut, a whore; someone who wanted wealth and power by manipulating others with the use of her beauty and her body to her advantage.

His expression must have changed, for Haruka took a step back, the luminosity of her eyes fading a little. The overwhelming scent of lilies faded too, and she seemed to shrink a little before his intense gaze. He could feel the surge of anger coursing through his veins.

"Miss Nanami, as your _appointed_…guardian, I was disappointed tonight when you did not grace me with your presence. I trust that you have not forgotten the _correct manners_ to introduce yourself to the new master of the chateau." The coldness in his voice is unmistakable as he stressed his position to her. He is glad that he is finally able to come to grips with his senses. She is no phantom of his childhood. The woman before him is simply a gold digger of the lowest kind. A scum out to ruin his family's name and legacy with her existence.

"Forgive me, Tokiya Ichinose. I-" she started.

"It's Master Tokiya to you." He interrupted icily. "I believe we are not that much acquainted with each other yet as to calling me by my name like we have known each other for quite some time."

She flinched slightly, her face blushing a bit. Her eyes took more of a hard edge.

He could sense the girl has some backbone in her by the way her chin juts out in defiance, fire burning in her eyes. _See? They are all the same. A whore needed to have pure guts and thick skin._

He was expecting her to explode, but watched admiringly, as she fought to control her anger. He wondered if he had met her under different circumstances, would he be physically attracted with her like so?

Glancing back at her, he tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement. He probably would. She would be a challenge though, he analyzed critically. If he is not mistaken by the way she composes her angered expression, he would have to tame her first before he beds her though.

"Are you done studying me?" she gritted through her teeth. "As master of the chateau, aren't you a paragon of manners?" she added scathingly.

"But of course." he answered in acknowledgement, staring at her straight in the eyes. "I have impeccable manners when I am treating ladies with _respectable_ reputation. However, since you are not, I see no reason for you to feel insulted with my lack of manners." He chuckled. "Now I know why my grandfather was enamored with you. You've got guts. And your ambition knows no bounds. Is that why you are out in the middle of the night wearing just a thin gown? Are you into some elaborate plan of sneaking into my room and seducing me?"

She gasped, eyes widening with shock. "H-how dare you!"

"I should be saying that," he replied sardonically, shrugging his shoulders. For some odd reason, he liked seeing her outraged expression. Maybe it could turn into an amusing experience learning more about her background. He might as well have fun making her life in the mansion as miserable as possible. It could alleviate his boredom while he figures out what to do to remove her claims to the family's fortune.

"Would you like an advice?" he offered, "from a seasoned pro like me who handled a lot of women like you?"

She snapped her mouth shut, eyes shooting daggers at him. Her face started to turn red with humiliation. "No thank you!"

Tokiya gave a smirk. _Nope, not a phantom at all, _he thought with some satisfaction and relief_. _He leaned forward, his lips almost grazing her jaw. "If you want to climb into my bed so badly, you'd have to wear something skimpier than what you are wearing now." He breathed, "I prefer my sluts to be adventurous in bed". The modest attire may be some attempt to make her look desirable by creating the illusion of innocence; probably preferred by his grandfather, but not for him.

He stood up straight, watching her face turn as red as a tomato. He turned, whistling softly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her clenched her jaw. For a moment he thought she would cry, but he was disappointed when she pivoted on her heel and marched back to her side of the balcony.

"By the way, Miss Nanami." He called out, as was about to enter his room. He could hear her footsteps stop at the sound of his commanding voice, the rustling of the material swishing at her ankles. "I would expect to see you promptly at breakfast tomorrow morning, and we shall discuss the ground rules while living under _my _roof."

Without waiting for an answer, he went inside, shutting the sliding doors with gusto. He could finally sleep well tonight.

As he shuffled across the room, his mind thought back on his initial question of what she was _really _doing. He was just hedging on his conclusion that she was probably trying to bank on just seducing him to cement her status of living in the mansion, but why the hell was she wearing dirt-spattered boots underneath her gown? He didn't make a comment on her bizarre get-up, but his curiosity was piqued with the thought of her romping around in dirt in the middle of the night. Wasn't she afraid of being alone outside?

He felt himself shiver again and he dismissed the odd feeling. Tomorrow, at breakfast, she has no choice but to answer his questions when he threatens to kick her out of the house should she have the gall to defy him.

Tokiya climbed into his own bed, sleep claiming him immediately as soon as his head hit the pillows. For some reason, he began dreaming about Haruka, his grandfather, and the phantom woman of his childhood.

**oOoOoOoOo**

He normally sleeps a full eight hours everyday. Being well rested is important for him, as he fully utilizes his energy into running a family business empire. However, he probably could not wait until morning comes and he woke up way before the alarm clock sounded. By the time the pink sky turned blue, he was already dressing for breakfast, pulling into a crisp khaki pants and a white polo shirt. He is looking forward into making his unwanted ward squirm for breakfast. This day would be just like any business meeting where he can manipulate people like putty into his hands. Miss Haruka Nanami would be like those business associates he always negotiate with: all talk and swagger, but would eventually be reduced to tears when all their aces are gone.

Despite his initial reluctance to come to the chateau, at times like this, in his opinion, _Dulce de Lys _looks best in mornings during the spring and summer season. With the early morning sunlight filtering through the large French windows framed by white columns, the cream and white marble floors gleamed to perfection. The forbidding atmosphere emitted by the mansion yesterday seemed like a strange dream, now that the house is alive with its occupants, even though most of them were the dozens of servants going about its regular job of cleaning, polishing and general maintenance of the mansion.

Several of them stopped what they were doing and greeted him nervously. He can only recognize a few of them who served him during his brief period of visits. The rests are all new. He has half a mind to ask them why there were so many new faces and where most of the old ones had gone to, when he saw Shigeru-san emerging from the great dining room doors.

"You are up very early, Master Tokiya." He intoned, leading the way to the informal breakfast nook, where he insisted he always have his meals served there.

"I actually had an interesting night last night." He answered as he stepped into the breakfast nook and took a seat. Steaming stack of pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon wafted towards him, and he served himself some food while his butler poured fragrant coffee for him. "And I look forward to the continuation during breakfast." He continued, cutting into the pancake and forking the tasty morsel into his mouth, the sweetness of the syrup spreading on his tongue.

Puzzled by his reply, the butler said, "Very good, Master Tokiya. I'm glad you had a good night's sleep. The mansion can be very boring at times." Shigeru placed the newspaper on the table within easy reach and motioned for the waiting manservant to refill the pitcher of orange juice.

"I would be making some renovations on the mansion soon enough." Tokiya said thoughtfully, before he gulped some coffee. "I have been meaning to upgrade the electrical supply and the plumbing. This house needs continuous upgrades to keep it as habitable as possible."

"Indeed, the last month before your grandfather's demise we have been experiencing fluctuations in the electrical supply. Master Cecil was on the verge on calling for an architect to help him with the renovations when he passed away unexpectedly." Shigeru refilled the pancake serving plate with freshly made ones and studied the table with a critical eye.

"I guess the renovations can wait for a few weeks. The _Obon_ festival is coming soon, and the family will here gather here in three weeks' time. I might return to the city for a few days to make some arrangements with my schedule and take some time off." He nodded to himself, mentally making plans, while he perused the business section of the morning papers.

"I have started making the preparations, Master Tokiya. The guest rooms will be aired out, and we will place the orders for the food supplies." The butler stopped, and seemed to greet someone behind him.

He guessed that Haruka had decided to finally join him. He wondered how long she was standing there before the butler acknowledged her presence.

"Good morning, Lady Haruka." Shigeru held out a chair for her, on Tokiya's right side, and she sat down.

He quietly watched her as she let Shigeru-san serve breakfast for her, offering bacon, eggs and toast. As soon as his work is finished, the butler bowed and left them alone, closing the door behind him discreetly.

For a few minutes, he ignored her, and the sounds of cutlery, china and rustling newspapers are the only noise inside the room. He let her squirm on her seat, a ploy he often used with problematic business associates that annoy the hell out of him. He utilized the tactic to show them who is the real boss and put them in their place.

When he lowered the newspaper to study how she was doing as she waited for him to speak, he was surprised to see her scribbling something on a battered piece of notebook. He could not see what she is writing, but she looked absorbed with what she was doing, that she seemed to forget he is the room with her. He watched her take small bites of toast and bacon, eyes unfocused and deep in thought, that for a moment, he was transfixed with her image.

She wore a modest green sundress that brought out the reddish gold color of her hair. Haruka looked refreshingly simple and girlish, a picture of a carefree girl, and he felt a tug of appreciative smile hovering on his lips.

He blinked before shaking his head slightly. _Get a hold of yourself Tokiya. She probably wore the outfit to make you think twice about her unsavory character and reputation._

"So," Tokiya folded the newspaper and studied her with hooded eyes. "About last night, what were you doing outside?"

She looked up at him; pen paused in mid-air, eyes that seemed to penetrate into his skull. She shrugged nonchalantly before answering. "Exploring."

He twitched his eyebrows in annoyance. "Exploring? Pray elaborate on it." He said impatiently, placing the carelessly folded newspapers on his left and folded his hands under his chin, elbows resting on the table.

"Exploring." She repeated, before sipping her orange juice.

He waited for her to continue. But she did not offer more.

He could feel an impatient pulse on his neck, but after she finished drinking, Haruka continued writing on her notebook.

She was ignoring him.

"Ahem. I am waiting for your explanation." He finally snapped, flicking his fingers to catch her attention.

Haruka looked up at him, eyes narrowing slightly. "As I've said. I was exploring."

"In the middle of the night?" he asked disbelievingly. "A normal person wouldn't go out exploring at such an ungodly hour!"

"Well then, I am not a normal person." She replied curtly.

Tokiya narrowed his eyes irritably, feeling a headache coming. Well, she was asking for it.

"In the future." He said, relishing the command he was about to give her, "no more 'exploring' at midnight. Do you understand? Or else I will assigned a bodyguard to watch you day and night."

She continued to stare at him with those molten gold eyes of hers without saying a word. And then she went back to what she was scribbling.

His pulse continued to throb with annoyance. The nerve of this girl. He guessed correctly that she would be difficult to handle and he was right. She was practically defying him by neither agreeing nor acknowledging his he needed to find someone to guard her doors at night, he would do it. Until he has more information on her, he wanted to keep her under lock and key. As they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Maybe it was a good thing that her room abuts his bedroom. He can keep an eye on her personally; study her closely before he can make his move.

Deciding to approach another topic, he dropped the subject of her nighttime activities and called her attention again.

"How about we start again this conversation by telling me how you met my grandfather?"

"What do you want to know about my relationship with Cecil?" she asked, meeting his eyes with unwavering strength.

He stiffened by her bold use of calling his grandfather's first name. There's no doubt that she is in intimate terms with the old man. His eyes glimmered triumphantly. He could gather more facts than that old detective he hired just by observing her under his roof.

"I don't know, you tell me. It's obvious that you are way more closer with my grandfather, seeing as you lived under one roof. I am not an idiot. I can put two and two together. The fact that you took advantage of his kindness insinuates how deeply you have penetrated in establishing yourself in our family. You can tell me the same sob story you have used. I am willing to listen." There he had said it.

She did not say anything. He watched with satisfaction when she looked away and closed her notebook gently, fingers trembling either with anger or humiliation, he does not know. But he succeeded in finally getting under her skin.

When she looked up again, he saw her eyes darken with unexplained emotion, and he was reminded yet again of the phantom of his childhood. Right now, the air in the room felt suddenly chilly, as if he is watching a transformation before him. He ignored the sudden change in the atmosphere.

"I have known your grandfather for a long time, Master Tokiya. I do not know what kind of story that was passed to you with regards to my relationship with him." Her chin lifted up bravely and he could see her eyes blurred with unshed tears. "However, there is no point explaining myself further to you, when you have already come to a despicable conclusion on my personal integrity and character. So why don't we forget about the veiled pleasantries? After all, you were only designated as my temporary guardian until I turned 21. What is a few more months of continued ignorance of my existence? I don't need to make myself endure you and your family's company."

He was not surprised with her tirade; rather he was kind of expecting she would say something like that. The woman before him is very clever, and she would try to utilize whatever she can use to hold on to the reward that she managed to trick out with his grandfather. She won't last long in this house, not as long as he is in charge, yet he was not liking this turn of conversation, so he decided to be honest with his hostility towards her, so that she won't get any ideas of him being compassionate towards her plight. "I cannot just 'ignore' your existence as you have so kindly implied. Your existence has been made known in the family a few weeks after my grandfather's death. And we cannot just ignore the scandalous nature of your relationship. It would affect the impeccable image we have strove hard to create and maintain." He replied in a hardened tone. Her speech won't make him change his initial opinion about her. No matter what kind of pleasant character she presents to him and his family, by suggesting that they just ignore her and she would continue living in the mansion as if they never knew her, the fact remains that she is a threat.

She stood up. "I believe our conversation ends here." She pushed back her chair, stood up, took her notebook and was about to leave, when he suddenly grabbed her arm.

"This conversation is not yet finished." He told her harshly, "As the new master of this household, my word is law here. And if you want to enjoy living the luxurious life you lead under my grandfather's rule, you had better obey me or else, I will make your life a miserable hell."

Haruka struggled against his grip. "Let go of me! I do not wished to listen to more insults coming from you! And I am not afraid of your threats."

Tokiya pulled her close, breathing down at her face. The top of her head barely reached his nose, and she was craning her neck to meet his gaze, eyes shimmering with anger.

Despite his continued annoyance and irritation at her, he was not used to having people like her defy him so openly. No one, no one ever dares defy his will! Least of all, this whore who has arrogantly dared to question his knowledge about her when everything is so very obvious in the beginning. Only a blind man would fail to see what she truly is in the eyes of many.

Her sweet fragrance teased his senses, and his nose flared. Her closeness was enough to make him hardened in response to her close proximity. The skin beneath his fingertips feels as soft as a baby's skin.

"If you wished to survive the waters of entering into the Ichinose dynasty, I suggest you'd better use your head and act wisely. You are treading on dangerous waters." He said softly. His eyes moved from her eyes and down to her lips, passed her slender neck and into her sundress where one of the top buttons came undone with her struggles. The deep vee of cleavage peeked under the white, virginal bra she was wearing underneath.

She followed the trail of his gaze and she gave a soft gasp of outrage. Pulling her arm from his viselike grip, she lifted a hand to slap him across the face.

He stood there stunned, his left cheek stinging from the blow. His mouth twitched with the combination of anger and amusement. Anger that she had the courage to slap him, and amusement that she still manages to make herself physically attractive to him just by simply being brave and standing up against his authority. He now realized that he wouldn't mind making her _his_ given the opportunity. How long has it since he last indulged himself with having a lover cater to his every whim? Here is a ready-made lover, and he only needed to tame her first. Clearly, she needed to earn the millions she inherited from his grandfather.

The thought was enough to whet his appetite.

"Go to your room. Your face may be lovely and pure, but you make my skin crawl with disgust just thinking about your wicked nature."He let go of her arm and she gritted her teeth, massaging the skin where he held her tight. Already, a light purple discoloration appeared on her skin, marring the whiteness. Funny how people often associate whiteness with purity, and this woman just shows how evil always chose to disguise its minions by residing inside beautiful creatures such as she.

"You may be the new lord of this mansion, but you cannot impose your will on me!" she said, walking towards the door with the gracefulness of a queen. And then she stopped, and turned slightly towards him, where he continued to watch her leave.

"This mansion was nothing but a prison during my stay here. Your grandfather _owes_ me! Nothing you can say or do will repay all the debts that he has accumulated. Nothing!" and with that, Haruka Nanami opened the door and let herself out, slamming the door behind her with as much force she could muster.

Tokiya was unaffected by her display of bravura. _What a clever actress she is, _he sneered inwardly, turning around to finish his coffee, gazing outside the open windows, where a gentle breeze rustled the light curtains framing the windows.

But as soon as he placed the fine china cup on its saucer, he lifted his right hand, where, a few moments before, he was holding her arm. He stared at his hand, gently rubbing his thumb on the tip of his middle finger, as if he was still caressing her soft skin.

He left the breakfast room, deep in thought about Haruka's last words about the revered and enigmatic Cecil Aijima Ichinose.

**oOoOoOoOo**

**A/N: Lyrics are courtesy of Kate Havenevick's Serpentine from her album Melankton. I am still searching for good albums similar to Miss Kate's works, and so far I only found a few songs. If you want my works to progress faster, suggest some good ones for me to be inspired. My brain runs on music on the loop.**

**Slightly long chapter here. I hope you liked it. I don't know which update would be next. I am aiming to complete Underage Love and Porcelain within the next two weeks or so (cross your fingers). Though I will upload a few new one-shots that is not related to the Uta-Pri universe. I have been re-reading my copies of Beauty is the Beast and I am sad that only a few entries exist for this manga. So I will try my best to revive interest in this manga, by trying to upload as many one-shots I can finish.**

**If you like the anime and manga Natsume Yuujinchou, I recommend checking out harunekonya's work entitled The Human Mask. I totally am in love with her series. And I envy her style and excellent command of English grammar. **

**Another of my favorites is author Kanna37, who wrote more than a hundred entries for Inuyasha. I am currently in an Inuyasha reading binge (I am rooting for KagomexSesshomaru pairing). **

**Please support the wonderful authors I mentioned above. I am not paid to advertise their works here, I only want to share my enthusiasm on their excellent works. **

**Reviews=Love.**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: I changed the genre for this fic from Romance/Drama to Romance/Supernatural. It is my pathetic attempt at gothic romance after all, so some supernatural elements are in order, as well as mystery.**

**Season 2 has finished. How did anyone find the ending? Frankly speaking, I did not properly watched the last 5 episodes, simply because I got tired of watching too much anime in one sitting. And I felt slightly cheated because the Tokiya Ichinose episode is not what I expected. Hmm. Maybe I should watch it again, properly this time.**

**Has anyone watched the film Stoker? You should go and watch it. Simply brilliant. I love some of the dark, psychological elements there, and India (the lead heroine) reminds me somewhat of Haruka's character here. I tried to imagine India as Haruka, but less violent of course. I only want to Haruka to be as mysterious as India. **

**Fact: the piano scene with her Uncle Charlie is one of the most erotic scenes I have ever watched, without the characters getting dirty. The expression on her face, and her subtle movements blew me away.**

**Warning: Some OOC and short lemon. Kiddies, you've been warned.**

**Grammar mistakes? Let me know, post a review.**

**July 22, 2013 updates: See Author's Notes Below.  
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**Oct 13, 2013 updates: This story contains some light lemon that has been edited out as required by the admin regulations. To view the complete version of this chapter, please visit the author's profile page to read the full contents.**

**Chapter 4 - I Don't Know You**

_**Ville Dulce de Lys, 50 years ago**_

"You look absolutely stunning tonight, Antoinette." Cecil leaned closer to the woman in front of him.

"But of course, Cecil. I already know that." The dark haired, tall young woman in front of him lifted her face up to meet his gaze flirtatiously.

"If only that damned husband of yours is not here, I would have had you panting in the library right now." Cecil murmured, gesturing with the brandy glass he was holding, ignoring the crush of the people who attended tonight's party.

The woman, whom he called Antoinette, had an unmistakable sparkle in her eyes. She lowered her voice and coyly said, "Once he is drunk enough with that atrocious supply of alcohol your party is providing tonight, he won't notice I've been missing for a few hours."

Cerulean eyes flashed in reply at her invitation. "Hmmm.. An excellent idea, my sly minx. Make him drunk enough so he won't remember a thing. And you can meet me in the library in an hour." His white teeth gleamed against his beautifully tanned skin, making his eyes seemed even bluer.

Antoinette leaned against Cecil, inhaling his masculine scent, before she whispered in reply, "Hmm. Can't wait."

Within seconds, she melted within the crowd, determined to find her middle-aged husband. Cecil glanced at her shapely back, his body hardening at the thought of making her his before the night ends. Really, it is so easy to manipulate dumb, bored women like Antoinette. Rudolph's trophy wife, who is 24 years his junior, is too greedy and otherworldly for his taste. But, if his calculation is correct, she can easily persuade her husband to sell some of his coveted precious stocks to him. and he could put his plans to good use. He had just finished brainstorming on an idea about creating a more sophisticated circuit board for better music quality. But in order for his plans to come to fruition, he needed to buy more shares to the best company who produces the circuit board in question. And the only man who has a few more stocks to spare is Rudolph Messi.

Cecil Ichinose Aijima, the current hotshot maverick of the entertainment industry, had worked out that the only way to get through Rudolph is seducing his wife. And despite his initial reluctance, he relished the challenge ahead of him. Antoinette may be gullible and dumb as hell, but he can't deny that she has an amazing hourglass body designed to stop men in their tracks.

He can always mix pleasure with business as long as he is careful and discreet. Besides, he will stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Due to his clever investments and uncanny ability of predicting the next big things that would shape the burgeoning music industry, a lot of people have been clamoring for his attention. His opinion is starting to become a gospel, and everywhere involved in the business would listen carefully with their ears, as he made savvy decisions. Rudolph Messi is one of the few exceptions of people who listen to him. He is what Cecil likes to call, one of the old guards: an Old World gentleman who does business in a traditional way. And he found it difficult to persuade Rudolph to comply with his subtle demands. Just because of the way he makes radical business decisions.

But Cecil Aijima is not traditional. He likes to take risks, the way he risked and gambled the fortune he made in the shipping industry. Though it made a tidy profit for him and his family, he knew deep down that it wasn't the right business for him. He had a lot of ideas in his head, and he intends to put them into motion.

Leaning against the light pink marble pillar, he surveyed the grand ballroom of his ancestral home with a critical eye. The black and white marble was a perfect blend against the guest's red, white and black gowns and evening wears. Everyone who is anyone in the entertainment industry was crammed in his home tonight, enjoying the fine wines and food he had especially ordered for the occasion. _Ville Dulce de Lys_ is always the perfect setting for these type of parties. It looked grand and extravagant, whenever he throws his elaborate parties here. But this is where he makes his moves towards potential business partners. And it is necessary that he camouflage his next potential venture by making his guests drunk and preoccupied with other forms of entertainment.

A flash of red caught his eye, and he automatically focused his attention on it, his gaze zoning on a young woman at the corner seated with the orchestra he had hired for tonight's event. The woman was playing an impressive violin solo, gently swaying in time with the music she was playing, eyes closed. Her reddish-gold hair shone against the overhead chandelier, and he could see her mouth slightly open as if humming with a voice he can only imagine.

Cecil caught himself smiling before he blinked, when he heard the clock chimed with the hour. His eyes still trained on the girl, he drained his brandy, caught one of the hired waiters via his starchy white sleeve and handed his empty glass.

Taking one last look at the young woman, he turned on his heel, whistled a lively tune before heading towards the library.

******oOoOoOoOo**smutoOoOoOoOo****

There was the soft sound of silken pantyhose tearing, and Cecil found himself half-leaning, half-standing against the hard wooden table he often used inside the library.

Despite the low lighting, Antoinette's creamy skin shown through the torn dark, silk stockings she is wearing. Her black gown was bunched up high on her waist, exposing her thighs, the thin lace pantyhose suspenders, her smooth flat stomach...

****oOoOoOoOo**smutoOoOoOoOo**

Somewhere at the back of his mind, he heard a soft _click _and his eyes looked up.

Cerulean met melting gold.

The woman in red he saw earlier looked far too young to be even here. She stood there, frozen in spot, with the library door closing gently behind her, trapping her inside the room with him.

He ignored the guttural sounds the woman in front of him is making, as she tried to catch up with the extent of his ferocious lovemaking.

Cecil Aijima never took his eyes off the woman in front of him as she took in the scene she accidentally happens upon.

Golden eyes fringed with thick, sooty dark lashes, cheeks blushing pink, pointy chin that makes him want to growl, Cecil admired the unexpected visitor with interest. He noted the way the tendrils of her hair curl up, escaping from the loose chignon she sported. The material of her modest red gown looked cheap compared to the expensive gowns worn by the women tonight. But the cut and style suited her fragile frame perfectly.

As he continued to pump Antoinette, he imagined for a moment it was _her _he was making love to, and he found himself more aroused, the sheath encasing him more snugly.

Unaware of the intruder behind her, Antoinette neared to her climax, moaning and gasping as she surged against him.

Cecil's eyes blazed with wonder at his sudden attraction to the woman standing by the door.

"I am sorry. I was looking for the ladies room." She whispered.

And only he could hear how beautiful her voice sounded in his ears.

Silently backing away, the young woman managed to wrangle the door open behind her, eyes still lock with his, and she blended into the darkness of the hallway outside.

Even before the door closes, those golden eyes of hers glowed, and Cecil felt himself reach his limit...

******oOoOoOoOo**smutoOoOoOoOo****

**_**Present day**_**

Every time Tokiya came by to visit the _ville_ during his childhood, he always get the feeling that he is on his way to a temple to worship a god. His grandfather, Cecil, was such a charismatic figure, and everyone adored and worshipped him, despite his reputation as being difficult and sharp when something or someone displeases him. He ruled this land with an iron will, and he was very protective of his territory. Often times whenever his gaze landed on his grandfather, he can almost imagine the crackle of energy surrounding his body.

On the day of his father's burial, his mother was inconsolable. Unable to eat or sleep for several days, she fell ill and was ordered to rest as soon as his father was buried. But the toll and shock on the news of his untimely demise was too much for her, and she was taken home prematurely even before the glossy black and silver casket was lowered to the ground; leaving behind her only son to the care of their immediate relatives.

Meanwhile, Tokiya, wearing his somber clothes complete with grey silk tie and coat, was just staring at the closed casket without really comprehending what is happening. He just knew that he won't be seeing his father anymore. He did not cry when they first learned about his death, and he did not even shed tears now. He just felt numbed by it all.

He stood, quiet, without saying anything and was letting everybody handle everything. After all, what would they need a seven year old to do? Though he wished, for once, that his mother had stayed put for a while longer. He wanted to hold her hand and squeeze it gently. He wanted to feel its warmth, the heavy pulse of life.

But, as he stood there, wondering if someday, things would go back to normal, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. Startled, he looked up and saw his grandfather's intense cerulean eyes boring into his.

"_It's alright, Tokiya. You need not fear anything. Death is a part of life." His grandfather's deep voice, though gruff from his own unshed tears, was soothing. "Do not be afraid of what is to come. I am here to guide you."_

And with that, the heavy feeling inside his chest, lightened a bit. Despite the sad, mournful mood that day, Tokiya felt relieved, knowing that he is not really alone. Growing up without the father he so loved and cherished, he found another person to emulate. He vowed one day that he wanted to become like his grandfather.

Lost in thought, it was not until someone behind him cleared his throat before he realized he has been staring at his grandfather's life-size portrait for quite sometime. Situated at the entrance of the gallery leading to the formal library and sitting rooms, the vast expanse of wall was filled with similar portraits of his ancestors ranging from great-aunts and uncles, dour-faced old women and fat men in combinations of traditional Japanese and European clothing that was fashionable in their era.

"Pardon my intrusion, Master Tokiya, I would like to know whether only Master Otoya and Mistress Tomochika will be staying this coming weekend?" Shigeru was carrying a pile of folders on his way to the library. Behind him, the estate manager, Hideki Matsuo and his assistant nodded in greeting.

"I will need to confirm with the rest of the family later," Tokiya pivoted on his heel, gesturing for the men to follow him in the library. "Let me call Otoya and re-confirm their plans. But it would be better, if you best prepare all the same. I suspect, Otoya would be burning with curiosity about the mansion's permanent _resident._" He stressed the last word, his thoughts now contemplating on how best to manage his grandfather's unwanted mistress.

**oOoOoOoOo**

"Your accounts on the repair works need to be updated, Hideki." Tokiya said as he perused the pile of books and papers spread out before him. It took some time for him to sort out the numbers and figures written on the papers, as he is used to reading reports neatly done and prepared in slide formats by his band of assistants when he is in the office. But because the estate was somewhat neglected by his grandfather during his last few years, the people managing it are still not up to date with the latest computer programs available.

Tokiya took one of the papers and made a mental note to send someone to help update the accounting. The mansion not only needs a quick system of inventory when it comes to handling the expenses needed to maintain its upkeep: maintenance records, food and utilities expenses, salaries of the servants. Its surrounding areas needed its regular upkeeps too, as they own tracts of land being rented out to farmers growing fruit orchards. And they had made agreements to assist them with infrastructure such as building fences, irrigation network systems, improvement of access roads, etc.

"My apologies, Master Tokiya. I am supposed to update the records for the past month, unfortunately, I was helping one of the tenants with his harvest after he broke his hip." Hideki bowed in apology.

"No matter, so far, they all looked generally in order, though I want to make sure that this won't happen again, so I will send down-", at this Tokiya paused, cocked his head to the side as his ears prickled, listening to the faint music.

Somewhere in the mansion, a somber Rachmaninoff piece was being played in the piano. He felt the hairs stand up on his neck, as the gentle rise and fall of the keys elicited a feeling of anticipation from him. He was suddenly filled with the need to see who was playing, and he dropped the expensive pen he was softly tapping against the highly polished wooden desk that was in front of him, as he stood halfway from the leather seat he was occupying.

"Who?" He did not finished his sentence as he glanced at his estate manager with questioning eyes before he finally located the source of the music; it was coming from the sitting room next to the library. The open French windows at the corner of the library let in a gentle breeze, and the curtains billowed as if dancing in tune to the music.

"That would be Lady Haruka, Master Tokiya." Hideki ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair, smiling faintly as he gripped the wide brimmed hat he was wearing.

Tokiya turned to the middle aged man, eyebrows raised in genuine surprise, before glancing down at the papers in front of him. "I did not realize that everybody is familiar with the outsider living in grandfather's estate. I should have known that gossip is a favorite pastime of the local folk." He said evenly.

Hideki's smile faded, and he cleared his throat as he scrambled to explain, clearly understanding what he meant. "Forgive me, Master Tokiya for acting familiarly with the fair lady. I recognize the song being played. Lady Haruka would sometimes come down to the village church and play for the children."

"Indeed?" Tokiya silently contemplated the bit of knowledge shared by the man in front of him. "I know very little about our special resident. Would you care to enlighten me about what you know about her?"

"Er.." Hideki paused, frowning slightly, unsure of what to say. Tokiya does not know the man on a personal level, but his father has been the previous estate manager before and he knows that their family is extremely loyal to the Ichinose clan. So despite this, he felt that he could trust whatever Hideki says about the mysterious woman who had shared his grandfather's bed.

"Well.." the man said slowly, as if choosing his words carefully, "I do not know the circumstances on how the young lady came to live with your grandfather. There _have been rumors_ circulating about her being your grandfather's mistress. Though," he added hastily, "no offense is meant about it, people normally would speculate if the facts they have don't add up."

"True." Tokiya nodded in encouragement, sitting down on his chair and leaned back.

"Whatever her purpose in staying here is, I really have no idea. The lady has treated me with kindness, and her manners are charming, if somewhat a bit lacking in some areas, unlike your cousins and aunts where their manners are impeccable. I seldom visit this place, and only when there is something urgent I needed to discuss with your grandfather, which only happened once during the past year." Hideki scrunched his face up, trying to remember, "I was in the sitting room, listening to your grandfather's instructions, when she came in, and he requested her to play something nice on the piano. Now, I ain't no expert in listening to the kind of music that she normally tinkers with, but it was only that time I hear your grandfather request such a thing. What struck me is that she played very differently compared to watch I just heard now; almost like she was being forced. Though there was nothing forceful about your grandfather's request that day."

Tokiya's ears perked up at the man's recollections. He was a bit puzzled by his story, silently thinking of what to make of it. When he could not find the answer he was looking for, he decided to store the queer bit of information for later analyzing.

"Alright, Hideki. Thank you for that illuminating piece of information." He cleared his throat and glanced at the clock tucked in one corner of the room. "Shigeru will inform you later when to expect one of my assistants' visit, so that he can help set up your files. You won't have any difficulties keeping track of the information, understood?" he dismissed the man quickly.

He bowed, still gripping the hat, before he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him quietly.

Tokiya slowly gathered the piles of papers and placed them neatly on one corner of the table, the fading sounds of Rachmaninoff still ringing on his ears.

**oOoOoOoOo**

The days of his stay in the mansion were unusually peaceful. Keeping track of the mansion's upkeep records took him three days. He worked from morning to late afternoon, familiarizing himself with the routines of everyday managing. It was somehow a bit boring for someone like him who is used to city life. Privately, he thought the exercise should be assigned to one of the older females of his family, so he can concentrate his energy with their various businesses. But he hates management loopholes especially when it involves his family's legacy, and that includes the mansion. As soon as everything stabilizes, he would call for another family gathering to assign and shift additional tasks for the rest family members. For now, he needed to concentrate on the unwanted thorn.

Haruka Nanami.

For the past few days since their argument, she avoided him during the day. She kept mostly to herself, and he requested Shigeru to report her daily activities to him: Morning usually dominates her school lessons; a private tutor would come to give her supervise her education. Two hours late in the afternoon is for her compositions and piano lessons. And after that, the rest of the day is entirely up to her discretion. The strict cycle happens everyday, except on Sundays, and needless to say, Haruka never complains nor deviates from it.

Tokiya was puzzled by the rigorous schedule, until Shigeru told him that it was his grandfather who arranged for it. He shrugged, told his butler to follow the regiment and to report to him on a daily basis, secretly thinking that one of these days, she would somehow tire from the regular pattern that she follows when his grandfather was alive. Surely, a young woman her age would indulge in bouts of shopping and meeting friends to keep herself occupied, now that she is living in the lap of luxury.

But strangely, Haruka Nanami never did. She never went out of the estate's boundaries in the afternoon, never had friends to come over and visit her for tea, never even went out for horseback riding. Her occasional trip to the village church is rare, and the last time she went was the week before his grandfather died, as informed by one of their old gatekeepers.

Instead, she prefers to spend her time indoors, locking herself in her room. God knows what she is doing inside her room, he has absolutely no idea. Even the maids assigned to clean her space and attend to her needs cannot go in once she has locked it.

They only see each other during dinner, where they spend a painful half hour of attempted civilized eating. In total silence.

Feeling bored and weary suddenly, Tokiya placed his wine goblet down and ignored the half-finished white fish in front of him. Ten minutes of quiet eating was taking on its toll, and the silence in the dining room is driving him crazy. Country life suits him not. And his grandfather's mistress seems not as exciting as he expected her to be. She was too quiet, too mysterious, and too preoccupied into her own world that he half-wished that she would just act like a normal mistress that she is supposed to be. Perhaps baiting her from time to time would make her yield some vital information about her.

Stealing a glance at the woman on his left, she seemed content to be staring into the empty space, as she speared the white mushrooms and putting it into her mouth, chewing with deliberate slowness. A trick to avoid talking to him. Not that he is prepared to answer any of her questions should she try to.

Today, she is wearing a dove-grey dress with dark blue patterns of intricate design. Her hair was brushed neatly, gleaming against the slightly dimmed lights overhead. Her profile looks picture perfect and he can just imagine she looked the same when she plays the piano. Unemotional, brilliant and cold.

Feeling the urge to break the silence, Tokiya found himself blurting out a question before he can stop himself.

"How long have you been playing the piano?"

There was a tiny clank with the cutlery, and gold eyes met his blue-grey ones.

"Why the sudden interest?"

He chewed the inside of his cheek, contemplating his answer. Why indeed?

"I am curious."

She gave a tiny sigh. And for a moment, he was expecting her to retort back rudely.

"Since I was 6." She answered before lapsing into silence again.

"I see."

She looked down at her plate of half-finished food, and he noted her knuckles were turning white. Is she angry that he is prying into her affairs? He has the right to question her, since being appointed as her guardian has some privileges which he wanted to exercise and make her life even more miserable.

"I have noticed that you follow a strict schedule everyday," he took a sip of white wine from his glass, "I would have expected you to fill your days with indecent bouts of shopping and meeting friends your age." His eyes narrowed, studying her movement and noting how his queries will affect her movements.

Placing her knife and fork down, she spoke without looking at him. "Contrary to what you expect about women my age, I do not indulge myself with shopping sprees and wasting money that is not mine. That was not the kind of lifestyle I grew up in. And I do not have friends; I never have friends."

Haruka pushed her chair back and stood up, gently placed the crumpled napkin beside her plate, before turning to face him, her features sharp, flashing eyes filled with sadness and anger.

"Your grandfather was the one who insisted on my routine, having discovered my musical abilities. He hopes to launch a musical career for me one day, which I never wanted."

Tokiya tilted his head, studying her face. He could not sit still. The emotional vibes he is getting from the woman contradicts the image he has painted of her ever since the family's solicitors broke the news of his grandfather's death.

"So apart from fooling my grandfather, you were hoping he would make you famous." He shook his head disbelievingly. "ambitions from women like you know no bounds, apparently. Why am I not surprised?"

Her eyes flashed dangerously, and again, he marveled at their luminous molten gold color. Come to think of it, the gold color matches her characteristic as a gold digger. Golden-eyed gold digger. How appropriate.

"Yes, why indeed?" Haruka replied with barely suppressed anger, echoing his own sentiment. "Excuse me if my appetite has been diminished significantly, _Master Tokiya." _She inclined her head and left the room, her footsteps light and quiet against the carpet. As soon as she let herself out of the room, closing the door behind her with a _click_, Tokiya lost his appetite too and crumpled his napkin, tossing it on the table.

Somehow, despite his pronounced animosity towards the young woman, his deliberate, determined attempt in baiting her for further argument left a bitter taste on his mouth which he could not explain.

**oOoOoOoOo**

**A/N: Chapter title courtesy of Kate Havenevick's I Don't Know You song from her album Melankton. **

**Cecil Aijima's love scene in the first part was also influenced by the movie Stoker. Free oreo cookes for those who can tell me who were dancing. LOL**

**Sorry for the late upload. I got too much paperwork for the past two weeks with my long vacation coming up. Plus, I went on a reading binge about BBC's Sherlock. Awww. I;m officially a Cumberbitch! What I'd do just to run my fingers through Sherlock's dark curly hair..Tsk. Tsk.**

**Please check out my other works (if you haven't), and do drop a review. I have recently posted the latest chapter for There's Always Room for Desset-Quartet Night version and I have uploaded a completed two shot smut, Two Bows One Cello. **

**See you in the next chapter. Reviews=love.**

**Additional Notes:**

**I just got an anonymous review today that just need to be addressed:**

_"Hi I really like this story but you seem to take really REALLY long to finish a chapter.. I don't mean to be annoying or rude but in a way I feel a little disappointed almost because I mean.. It's bean like 2 years since you started this story., I really do apologize for probably making you feel a little less better now but please try to update faster.. Sorry again! I truly do like your stories."_

**Funny, how yesterday, I have just read a similar situation posted by my favorite author Deborah Harkness in her FB page. Here's what she posted:**

_One of my readers, Glenda Heath Cox, wrote the following in a post on this Facebook wall. It is public and available for anyone to see, but I wanted to bring it to your attention because it is not the first time a post like this has appeared:_

"Man, I'm moving on from this series. Tired of waiting and there are authors that care about readers who put them on the map."

Just for the record, I do care about all of my readers. I am blessed to have so many of you take my characters into your hearts and lives. I am touched by your devotion to them, and the support you give me.

But:  
>I care too much to give you a bad book quickly.<br>I care too much to make optimistic projections that get your hopes up, only to disappoint you.  
>I care too much to promise things I can't deliver (like the exact date when I'll finish writing book 3)<p>

What I can promise you instead is that I will interact with you here as much as I can while remaining focused on writing book #3. I will be honest with you. I will give you only information you can count on because it's been set in stone.

Please believe me when I say the only person who wants me to finish this book more than you is ME. I want to get it into your hands as soon as possible. Writing is a creative, non-linear process. It is magical. Your patience and understanding are much appreciated as I let the story take me where it needs to go.

**... hmmm.. sounds familiar right?**

**I admit I'm a slow writer. And I tend to post chapters very late. And I am guilty of grammar mistakes. I read and understand all of the reviews posted in all of my works, and I tried my best to reply to each and everyone of them, or at least acknowledge the reviews they posted. And I am aware of your requests to update soon. I tried to compensate by giving a few hints every now and then to reviewers who are really devoted. **I am grateful for the readers, reviewers and followers who have posted their comments about my works. And I know I don't deserve the praises you give me about my fics.** I wanted my series to wrap up soon. :)**

**BUT:**

**I write for my own pleasure. And I posted it to to share my passion in amateur writing, and my love for this anime series. **

**So I hope you understand if I am very slow on the updates. Because I am my number one critic. I don't want to post chapters which I do not like, or look like its incomplete. And it takes time to create scenarios and type paragraphs. I DO NOT have as much free time as some of you have. I have other commitments that I need to prioritize: friends and family and work. And fanfiction writing for me is something I need to enjoy at my own pace, at my own time. These are free works that I spend PRECIOUS HOURS typing, daydreaming and researching. Professional authors take their time to produce their masterpieces, and they are paid to meet deadlines... AND I AM NOT! I wish I can churn out chapters as fast as I could, but I can't! So, my apologies. I am not a robot.**

**To the guest reviewer, let me extend my thanks for taking the time to write a review. And I appreciate your concern about my slowness. However, I am not stopping you to focus on other works. IF you don't like my slow updates, it's okay. As I've said, I'm writing for my OWN pleasure. So I will take my time to produce chapters which I deemed is good enough to upload. I do hope you understand. :)**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Firstly, thank you for all the reviews and follow alerts for this story. I am truly grateful for the time you spend following my stories, and I always appreciate your patience on my slow updates. **

**My vacation has ended and workload has piled up. Plus, the end of my project is nearing, so I suspect my time spent in updating chapters will be slower than usual due to the tight deadlines and schedules. Do forgive me on this, it is out of my control, and I can only adjust with the small amount of time I can squeeze in to write as much as I can. **

**In view of this, I might, MIGHT, consider putting my other work, PORCELAIN on a temporary hiatus, and focus on ****this**** fic and ****UNDERAGE LOVE**** for the time being, at least until my schedule goes back to normal. My goal is to finish Underage Love at the end of this year, and reach halfway of this fic (I am hoping I can achieve both, but in worst case scenarios, I can settle for finishing Underage Love at least)**

**Warning: Some OOCness. **_**Italics **_**signify flashbacks and dreams. **

**Grammar mistakes? Let me know, post a review.**

**Chapter 5- Fatal Lullaby**

"_So, how's the mistress?" _

"I have no comment for that."

"_Ahhh… She must be such a formidable opponent if you are keeping your opinions to yourself for the moment."_ There was a teasing chuckle.

"Shut it." He said, annoyed.

"_So, lunch still on tomorrow?" _Changing the subject.

"Make it a late lunch. I would be traveling for a few hours. Pop into my office for a couple or so, before I can come down and meet you guys." He said, kicking a stray stone in the middle of his path.

"_Sure. You'll be staying in the city for a bit of time?"_ his cousin, Otoya asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. A couple of weeks or less. My manager needed to explain why the Kotoko contract was botched." He frowned, remembering the meltdown of negotiations to get the elusive veteran actress Miss Kotoko, who won several international awards for her previous roles in historical movies, to star in an original stage play they are producing.

Tokiya can just imagine Otoya winced at the other end of the line. _"I heard that the manager made a careless comment that Miss Kotoko was such a diva and her agent heard him."_

"It was a massive headache." He confirmed indirectly his cousin's query.

"_Do you want me to standby to salvage the contract negotiations?" Otoya asked._

"Give me three days and I will see what the manager has to say." He chewed his bottom lip, thinking. The veteran actress is known to act like a prima donna as much as being a artist. But they can't really afford to look for an alternative to replace their only choice. Miss Kotoko has the undying devotion of her fans due to her immense talent, hence whatever project she works on is guaranteed to succeed.

They talked a bit more about the contract, and his cousin was intensely curious about their grandfather's mistress. So Tokiya promised to fill him in once they meet up for lunch tomorrow.

As soon as he clicked the phone shut, he sighed tiredly. He was sure that his cousin was just really curious about the current temporary resident of their ancestral home. But for some reason, he is not looking forward into the prospect of sharing what little knowledge he has gathered about Miss Nanami. In fact, all the tidbits of information he had gleaned so far during his short stay here, he wanted to keep to himself for the moment. And he even felt the slight twinge og urge to discourage his cousin from coming home early and see for himself. Otoya is awfully curious once his interest was piqued and he could not relish the scene of suddenly finding his cousin arriving here before him.

He wanted to be there when Otoya comes. He is afraid that her beauty might be too much for him. His cousin has been known to get easily attracted to innocent-looking young ladies.

_Are you protecting him from the vixen or are you keeping the woman to yourself? _The sly voice inside his head said.

The unexpected question popping into his mind made Tokiya pause. He let out a huff of annoyance.

He refused to acknowledge the question. _It's ridiculous to even consider that he is keeping all knowledge of Miss Nanami to himself for as long as possible. _

As he turned to go back towards the house, reflecting on his discovery, he saw something white to his left side, flitting quickly, he is ready to swear it was just his imagination. But whatever it was that moved, a faint snapping of dried twigs on the ground followed it; he became alert of his surroundings.

Puzzled, he peered into the thick hedges bordering the landscape maze that has been built behind the mansion. The mansion's large and spacious ballroom directly opens to the labyrinth and has been an infamous spot for guests who indulged in seductive liaisons during those parties their grandfather used to hold, while conducting his business negotiations. That was years before he married their grandmother and settled down to a quiet life. The parties were notorious for being extravagant, with guests becoming too intoxicated with the free flow of wine and champagne. Rumors has it that Cecil Aijima took advantage of the intoxicated guests by exploiting their weaknesses and gaining leverage on business deals that he covets. But no one could vouch whether the rumors are true or not. The supposed victims never admitted anything was remiss, and kept their mouth shut.

It was already dusk, and the sky has turned a dark shade of blue and with tinge of fiery orange in the horizon. Large, fat clouds crowded above him, giving him advance announcement of heavy rains to come. The wind has suddenly picked up, and the normally gentle breeze he was enjoying earlier was gone. Childhood experience taught him that the weather could quickly change and the signs in the sky predicts heavy downpours are due soon.

_Snap!_

Tokiya turned again and caught sight of someone walking away from him. He could just see the upper part of the body, as the thick, vivid green foliage covered the rest.

The flash of reddish-gold hair could only belong to one person.

_What is she doing outside?_

Intrigued, he could only follow. If she intends to meet someone, now is the opportunity to find out. Is it a lover, perhaps? Or an accomplice? Someone with a suspicious nature? Finally, this is a quick opportunity to know more about the mysterious Haruka Nanami.

He would soon know whatever secrets she is trying to hide.

Tokiya Ichinose carefully made his way into the carefully trimmed hedges crawling all over the labyrinth. While inside the maze, the wind wasn't as strong as it was when he was outside it. The tall hedges blocked most of the wind's strength and send it blowing to different directions. He continued to follow Haruka, staying just far enough for her not suspect that she was being followed. He can only manage catching glimpses of her white summer dress, or a bare ankle as she went deeper and deeper into the winding turns.

They would be reaching the center soon. A fairly large fountain was built there, filled with water hyacinths and lilies, and large gold and silvery koi fishes. The final path leading to it was lined with small statues perched atop medium height pedestals. It was part of the original landscape design of the mansion, one that was not entirely completed until his grandfather returned and restored their land to its glory. Tokiya used to play in the labyrinth with his other cousins, as they dart in and out of the moss-covered statues weathered by time.

As soon as he turned to the corner, he quickly darted to one side, where a statue of a boy playing with a lyre, offered just enough cover for him as he ducked out of site. His sudden movements caused some of the low plants to rustle. Enough noise to call attention to the person he is following.

The crunching of the gravel stones stopped. Feeling like an intruder, Tokiya held his breath, imagining Haruka looking over her shoulder to check that she really is alone.

When the walking continued, he took a peek and saw her heading towards the fountain. She sat at one part of the edge, not minding that the moss and dirt will definitely stain her white dress. Her red hair contrasted against the color of her pale skin, and the wind picked up speed, lifting tendrils of her hair, whipping it around her face.

The electrical lamps erected all around the center of the maze flickered to a faint glow, providing just enough illumination to see what is happening. The day gardeners will usually turn on the lights before they pack up for the day; but the unusual darkness and shadows in the areas not reached by the source of light, continue to linger and throw somewhat eerie images in hidden corners.

A lightning flashed against the sky, followed by a low rumble in the distance.

He felt the hair raise on his nape. _What the hell is she waiting for? The rain is about to pour anytime soon. _What kind of lover does she have, when he has the audacity to show up when the sky is threatening to spill its contents on the earth? Once he sees his face, he can easily identify him and ask the servants whether he is a local resident or not.

Waiting with bated breath, he figured he can have something to pass on to the private detective he hired previously; any small clues that will not lead to a dead end would be helpful. It could definitely resolve this dilemma they are having.

As if she had somehow heard his thoughts, Haruka stood up, walked straight to one of the statues nearest to fountain and plopped herself unceremoniously before it. He saw a glint of dull metal in her hands.

She was holding a rusty spade, and was using it to dig something in the earth, just beneath the statue. The statue was of a young girl holding a violin instrument.

Intrigued, Tokiya watched, frowning, trying to comprehend what he was seeing.

_What the hell is she digging around for? _

Is she mad? Trying to dig around in the dirt while a storm approaches? Where is the lover? Or the accomplice?

Something is definitely wrong with this picture.

_Is she aware that he was following her and she is trying to make a fool out of him?_

For a few minutes, or maybe it was actually longer, she concentrated on digging around, as if searching for something.

Exasperated, he felt the urge to kick himself. _Some adventure this is. _Haruka probably saw him and just pretended she did not see him and decided to play some bizarre game to misled him further.

Very annoying and irritating.

Not wanting to admit he'd been had, Tokiya decided he should just leave and hurry back into the mansion. He stood up, ready to sneak back to the path he took, when he heard it.

A sound.

The sound of metal hitting something.

Tokiya frowned, slowly crouching down again. _What in the world is he seeing?_

It seems like Haruka has indeed dug up something and was clawing her way to get to it. She reached into the small hole she had dug and pull out what seemed to be a blackened suitcase.

It was rectangular in size, flat and smaller than a regular, old-fashioned type suitcase. He strained his eyes, trying to gauge what was inside it.

Haruka flicked the locks open and stared at the contents for a long, long time.

Although impatient, Tokiya can only wait and see what she will do next. The whole thing he had just seen is weird, and somewhat so unexpected of her to do this kind of thing.

_Does the suitcase contain anything of significant value? An item she has stolen? _Something of value she has taken from the mansion and kept. The curiosity is killing him.

But when she reached inside and took something out, the shape was totally unexpected.

Not some jewelry, money or vase. It was a violin.

_How the hell did a violin get buried there in the first place? _He asked himself silently, astonished.

Was this the reason why she was out that night? Searching for a buried violin? Now that he thinks about it, he remembered her state of attire that night at the balcony. She was wearing dirt-splattered boots. Her weird choice of footwear did not tickle his curiosity that much, but he now understood why.

Haruka was looking for this buried object.

But why? It doesn't make any sense. Does the violin belong to someone else? From his ancestor, maybe? But he could not recall anyone in the family that could play such an instrument. They are all musically inclined one way or the other. He himself knows piano and guitar, while his cousin Otoya prefers only the guitar. Some distant cousins play the flute, or a saxophone. But _never_ a violin.

Filled with more questions, he leaned back against the pedestal where he was hiding.

Drops of rain began to pour.

He could hear her closing the case with snap and started to rush quickly away from the fountain. Hurrying past the line of statues, Tokiya looked up and saw the material of her dress was plastered on her body, as the rain continued to pour.

Amidst the flower beds around him, and the shadow of the statue looming above him, Tokiya sat, frowning and thinking as the rain continued to pelt him, drenching his clothes, until his skin felt numbed.

**oOoOoOoOoOoOo**

_Amidst the gay laughter, the chatter of voices and the clinking of wine glasses, Tokiya did not pay attention to the large crowd of people who had gathered with him, as each guest try to entertain one another with stories of their latest exploits, or the recent jewels and artworks they have acquired. Every one of them have something to brag about-to show that they are worthy of something just because they can buy whatever they desire and possess something rare._

_Blinking, he suddenly realized that the Obon festival had started too soon. How could the time passed so quickly? And who are these people mingling about and gathering around him? He doesn't recognized them at all. They are probably the local residents around their area, and the tenants who rent their family's lands for their farming businesses. _

_He craned his neck, looking for his other relatives, but could not find any. _

Strange. Where is Otoya, or Tomochika? His Aunts and Uncles?

_He turned his attention back again at the people around him, finally taking note of their dresses. It looked old fashioned and glamorous. Like something that people wear twenty, thirty or even fifty years ago. Maybe he is hallucinating? Or dreaming. Just a moment ago, he was at the labyrinth, watching…someone. But he could not remember who it was._

_Feeling rather bored with the discussions they are making, he let his mind wander, half-listening, but still maintaining the pretext of being riveted with their stories. They all like to be the center of attention, and he gave it to them, not letting them know he is thinking of something else to preoccupy his mind. They are all nothing to him, rather they are just people he used to get whatever he thinks he need or want. Tools to further his goals. And these people are easy to deal with. Flatter them, make them feel like they are the center of the universe and they would be able to deliver what he want in the end. _

_He paused. Somewhere at the back of his mind he knew these people, or at least he is acquainted with them. But he could not remember how. The running commentary in his head flowed through him naturally like water running down a stream._

_Tokiya excused himself and wandered around. Trying to be as nonchalant as possible, yet panicking a bit; he could not remember all these people here. Even the servants all look like strangers to him. Not even one he can recognize. _

_Then he came face to face with a mirror. _

_A strange, handsome man stared back at him. His hair is dark, his skin a creamy tan color. Like someone who has spent most of his years under the sun and has not yet regain his original skin color. Underneath a fringe of dark lashes, brilliant cerulean eyes peered back at him. They look like bright jewels flashing against the light._

This can't be right. _His eyes are blue. Blue color with hints of grey and silver around the edges. His mother once called his eyes brooding and stormy. He reached out, extending a hand towards the mirror, just to check whether his eyes are playing tricks on him or not, when he smelled a familiar smell of lilies._

_He whirled around. _

_His eye caught the same red dress. The woman who interrupted him. But where? Where did she interrupt him?_

In the library, remember? _A voice whispered to him. The woman in red dress, Antoinette flirting with him, him drinking his alcohol and making love to another woman while he stared at her from the slightly opened door.. Brief flashes of images flitting right before his eyes._

_The young woman who played the violin. What was her name again?_

_It was on the tip of his tongue. _

_And then flashes of memories, wherein he saw himself ordering his event organizer to invite the same set of musicians they had hired previously, in the hopes that she would appear again. Her. That woman. _

_And here she is, wearing the same dress, the same hairstyle. Even the same perfume; a subtle, sweet-smelling one that reminded him of moonflowers, lilies and anything that looks enchanting under the quiet glow of the moon._

_She looked young. No younger than eighteen perhaps. Or maybe slightly older. She has a face like an angel, so innocent and guileless. _

_Except for the eyes. _

_Shining like liquid gold, he could see they were sharp and weary. Like she is carrying a heavy burden of secrets he does not know as of yet. It made him wonder for days what made her eyes look like that. _

_And she looked familiar, Tokiya thought, studying her. But he could not remember where he had seen her aside from his memories of the library. The girl turned her head and caught his eye. She did not blush, nor did was she surprised to find him staring right back at her. Rather, her eyes seemed to look through him, as if he is nothing but a wall. _

_When he diverted his gaze from the girl, he found another man looking at him meaningfully. He was tall, maybe not as tall as him. Darkly handsome, with pale, pale skin that contrasted against his dark hair. His eyes are a cold, frigid silver-grey color, and his cruel mouth matched his cold persona. There was something menacing and frightening about his demeanor, that for a moment, he considered turning away and ignoring him for the rest of the evening. But a part of his mind recognized the man as his friend. His best friend in fact; and he is standing a few feet away from him, with a wolfish grin curling on his mouth. ._

_What was his name? He asked himself silently, expecting an answer from within him. But the voice that spoke to him earlier remained quiet, as if observing him; waiting on what he intends to do next. _

"_You seem to be interested in her." His best friend continued with a meaningful wink, and he continued to give him a blank look. _

_Tokiya felt helpless, but he mustered enough courage to make his legs move. Why does everything feels like he doesn't really belong here? He is inside this man. He is here, and yet he is not. He can feel and smell things; he knows the material of the clothes he is wearing, and it is soft to his touch; he can feel the hardness of the marble underneath his feet, and yet, he felt like his is floating- detached from this world. _

_It's all so confusing. That much he knows. And yet, the panic he felt faded a little. The slightly disoriented feeling made him feel like he is inside a puppet. He knows he can control his actions, but somehow, every movement he makes is like pre-meditated. Like being controlled in some way or the other. _

Like, re-enacting a scene that happened before.

_As he strode forward to properly greet him, his friend snagged a couple of glasses of wine and gave the other to him. _

"_Are you really interested in such a girl? She looked delectable. Though, I am surprise because she's not usually your type." _

"_Perhaps." He answered elusively. Ever so carefully, he tried to divert his interest away from the girl, while she prepared for her second set of tonight's music entertainment. An alarm rang inside his head. He needed to be wary about this particular friend of his. _

_He began to search in his mind for memories, and as soon as he thought of it, images began to appear, filling in the gaps: they both have a lot in common like privilege upbringing, handsome looks, intelligent and sharp minds. But his friend's attitude is a bit in the borderline of obsession when it comes to coveting things; be it cars, fine objects and women. He always admire his friend's impeccable taste in women, preferring his ladies as ice queens. Though his friend has a bad habit of dominating his women in a big way; often, he would boast his latest exploits with him as they nurse their brandy in between playing chess and billiards, while he is in the middle of brainstorming new ventures; his best friend like to indulge in tying his women up and playing games blindfolded. More often, he describes in loving detail how he would leave marks on their skin, as if branding them as his. But after awhile, he would tire of them soon enough and will move on to fresh game. Frankly speaking, he did try having sex that way with his friend's encouragement; although the sex is mind-blowing, it is not his cup of tea._

_Thankfully, they never even have to share the same tastes when it comes to the fairer sex, as he always liked his own women as experienced, unafraid and wild. Hence, he always go for married women or divorced ones. They are not afraid of showing their true colors and, more often than not, more liberated when it comes to sex. _

_But at the sudden appearance of this lady in red, with melting eyes, and fiery red-gold hair; he suddenly realized that she is the exact type of woman that his friend goes for. _

_Tokiya carefully schooled his features- at least, remembering he is still feeling disembodied, he applied a bit more force to make his face look calm and collected. _

Don't make the wrong move. _The voice whispered. _

_He wondered how will is bestfriend react when he is being diverted from a potential prey. But he intends to do his utmost to keep him from getting interested. He doesn't want the added trouble of having a rivalry._

Keep it cool.

_Clapping his hand on his shoulders, he began to enthusiastically discuss about the new venture in portable radios. If he could just buy himself enough time to get to know about the girl to warrant a decision whether he would actively pursue or not, he would continue shielding her away from this friend of his._

_The words flowed smoothly from his lips; they came out easy and makes enough sense, even though he only paid half attention to it. His mind is divided, and his body seemed to move on it own accord, judging from the gestures he made. The brain is supposed to send triggers to his nerves to be able to move, but the crossing of messages don't seem to agree on what they are supposed to do. What a weird night this is!_

_But as they start to make their way towards the library, one of his business partners stopped him for a quick chat, and he obliged him by giving his full attention. By the time he excused himself, his friend was gone from his side, and when he craned his neck to search for him amidst the sea of men and women wearing yet another of their formal dresses, he saw his tall, dark-haired person leaning against one of the marble columns, studying his potential conquest with hunger lighting up his eyes._

Don't, _he thought, with a sinking heart_.

_His vision blurred at the edges._

_Stretching out a hand, he saw the image before him dimmed._

_Don't you dare touch her. She is mine. _

_No.._

_Keep away from her. _

Tokiya Ichinose woke up, heart pounding, bleary-eyed, with no sense of where he was. It took him a moment to register that he is lying on his bed; the thick covers covering his nude upper body.

Groaning, he turned his head in the pillows to check the time on the alarm clock sitting on his bedside table.

It was 3:25 am.

Too damn early for him to be having a strange, disturbing dream. He can barely recall mouthing the words when he woke up.

_Don't you dare touch her. She is mine. _

He rubbed his knuckles across his eyes, trying to remove some of the sleep from them. Everything felt so real. But now that he has woken up, he feels a bit ridiculous for being so affected by it all.

Outside, the rain continued to pour into a steady rhythm, pelting the roof above him with low, almost faint beats. The temperature inside his room is deathly cold; he could even imagine his breath coming out in wisps. He snuggled underneath the covers, determined to get back to sleep. He has a long drive ahead of him, and he needed as much rest as he can cram into his tight schedule. But when he closed his eyes, he can see faint outlines of the images.

Even now, as his mind tried to piece together the images and the details, they seemed to fade away from his memory, as he desperately grasped on things he could remember: the two men talking, or was it him and another man? That woman in a red dress, melting gold eyes and her violin music; the guests wearing vintage gowns, the smell of heavy perfume lingering in the air..

Cold, silvery eyes.

There was something familiar about that man he was talking to that he could not place. He had seen him somewhere before, but he doesn't know where. Everything about the scene seemed bizarre, out of time, or like stumbling into a slice of the past.

He closed his eyes, trying to think. _Was it really important that he remember his dream?_

It feels ridiculous that he would become so affected by it. But it was so vividly real. If he had not woken up, the scene would continue to go on. What he saw and experience, he was seeing it through another person's eyes. He was inside the man's mind, and yet he is like an entirely different entity. He could hear his thoughts, hear the conversation, uttering the words himself. And yet, he felt detached from it, an observer, a viewer, watching from an open window. It did not make any sense.

Tokiya growled in frustration, punching his pillow slightly. He should stop this nonsense and go back to sleep.

He tossed again on his bed, hearing the rain grow louder. It was really pouring outside now, but the inside of his room is quiet. The loud noises can barely penetrate the thick walls. Reaching out with his free hand, he took the glass of water from the table and drank the remaining liquid thirstily. When he finished, he felt much better.

Scarcely a full minute has passed when he felt his eyelids grow heavy again. And his thoughts start to fill with projects he needed to follow up, contracts to review, meetings to attend, people to instruct. The list is endless.

While his mind drifted off to sleep, he wondered briefly whether he is resuming his dream again.

At the exact moment, when his thoughts has crossed the boundary of a man drifting off into a deep sleep, the sound of violin music can be heard through the heavy pounding of the rain outside.

The music is sweet, melodious and mournful- a beautiful, eerie plea in the night that will make one question and seek had he only waited and listened more closely through the steady pitter-patter of rain outside his room.

**oOoOoOoOo**

**A/N: Chapter title courtesy of Dark Music's Fatal Lullaby. Story is coming along smoothly, I am having a hard time shaping Chapter 6 though, and I am stuck somewhere after 6 or 7 pages. I am still in the process of building up the mystery surrounding Haruka, and it will still increase on future chapters. **

**Let me know what you think. **

**Reviews=love.**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, as always. And for the ENCOURAGEMENT. **

**Replies to questions posted in the reviews are answered below.**

**Warning: Some OOCness. **_**Italics **_**signify flashbacks and thoughts by the characters. **

**Grammar mistakes? Let me know, post a review.**

**Chapter 6- Haunted**

"Sir, you will need to sign here."

Tokiya barely suppressed the urge to grit his teeth in mental exhaustion, as he scrawled his elegant signature at the bottom of the documents needing his approval. Despite sleeping dreamlessly until six in the morning, he feels lethargic. The heavy feeling is akin to the feeling of someone who is about to experience the first signs of heavy flu.

It was lucky that at least, during the last few days he was at the ancestral home of _Ville Dulce de Lys_, he managed to reduce more than half of his tasks. But the financial reports needed to be reviewed carefully. Royalties from the songs and album compilations from famous artists that his grandfather helped and mentored plummeted in the last decade. Audio and video piracy is a bitch, and they are trying to stay on top with advance technology to keep their music quality on par with none. They can always count on more people willing to pay for good copies of quality music when they buy the albums they produced. After all, music should be treated with the same respect like fine arts and vintage wine. A person with good taste should be unwilling to compromise quality when it comes to listening to good music. Because music inspires everyday life and bring unparalleled joy to everyone who listens.

But he could not, for the love of God, understand why there are some people who still insist on illegally sharing and peddling mediocre quality to the gullible masses. It is a crime to humanity and creativity when people settle for such cheap and low quality copies of songs. Such a travesty that this activity has been running on for the past decade, and will probably still continue.

When Tokiya finished signing the last paper on the pile, he waited for his secretary to leave before letting out a sigh of relief. Leaning back against the buttery soft backrest of his leather chair, he closed his eyes briefly before fumbling around with his necktie, loosening it up for a bit. He would like to take a short nap before he went out to meet his cousins for lunch. The drive back into the city took him about two and half hours. He could have used the company helicopter to get back swiftly. But he preferred driving. The scenery is soothing for him. And he needed to think. Besides, his vintage car deserved to be driven in smooth roads, and the feel of its powerful, roaring engine under his hands is an experience he could not pass up.

Glancing down at his watch, he wondered briefly whether Haruka has had her lunch yet. By this time around, if he had been there today, they probably would have spent some twenty minutes of excruciating silence while having the excellent lunch prepared by the family chef. For a week that he stayed at _Ville Dulce _he can count the times they exchanged words, and all of them were more like taunts and verbal sparring. He was banking on making her feel as uncomfortable and awkward as possible. But the enigmatic Haruka Nanami remains as unyielding as the harsh sun. She either ignored his tirades, stare at him like he is invisible or act indifferent. He had to give her credit for being resilient.

_Will she be able to act the same when the rest of the family descends in the house in the next three weeks?_

Shaking his head, he straightened up from his chair, just as his phone gave off a sound. He glanced down and saw a message.

**See you in 15 mins.**

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

_Carousel _is an Olde Worlde, five star restaurant located on the 22nd Street, famous for its long, almost endless row of _jacaranda _trees, a type of tree that produces massive amounts of bluish-purple blossoms. High end fashion and design stores lined up the boulevard, jockeying up prime locations to entice one to visit their flagship stores. Here, loaded people often shop and dine; see and be seen by others, and is a favorite destination for visitors in the city district. It is especially crowded in this area during early spring and late autumn because the _jacaranda _trees are in full bloom, and visitors take advantage of the sights, sound and smell. And the place is at its most magical time when the sun sets, and the trees start to shed its brilliantly-colored blossoms, creating an unforgettable effect.

As such, despite the estimated number of people about to descend the boulevard, Tokiya opted to walk the rest of the way to the restaurant where he is supposed to have luncheon with his cousins. Tipping off his personal driver at the junction of 22nd and 24th Street, he went out of the dark-silver vintage Jaguar he often used for business travel, stepping onto the pavement and drinking into the sight before him.

He walked confidently forward, casually running a hand through his dark hair, in a small, self-conscious attempt to remove traces of fatigue that plagued him this morning. Already, the warm sunshine, and the splash of vivid purple flowers hanging heavy from the branches of the trees melted his stress away. He felt somewhat happy and complete, as he slowly made his way down the sidewalk, towards his destination, taking his time for a leisure walk. The cool breeze ruffled the unbuttoned collar of his pristine white, silk shirt and he discarded the necktie he was wearing earlier, opting to wear the navy blue blazer to compliment the cream tailored slacks he wore for work.

He spied a couple of young women who eyed him speculatively, whispering to each other, as they clutched the paper bags of designer clothes. Cocking his head to one side, he gave a nod at them, one corner of his mouth lifting in a flirtatious smirk.

They giggled as they walked past him, and he felt jubilant, as if the heavy curtain of gloom he was carrying around the previous week, was suddenly lifted from his shoulders.

It is nice feeling almost back to normal as if the previous events of last week had never happened. The pressures of handling the family business and solving the matter of the unwanted mistress must have been taking a toll on his thoughts lately to make him feel this way. Already, his mind seemed at ease; sooner or later, he can formulate ideas on how he can get rid of one Miss Haruka Nanami. The more relaxed he feels, the better he can think.

It took him a while, and he arrived at the restaurant some twenty minutes _Carousel _has been in operation for more than fifty years. It has a dining room, and a patisserie in the front. Further inside was a bar and a sort-off gentleman's club, where most of its regular patrons can stay to read, watch news and current events, play chess and billiards and even hold medium-sized regular gatherings for extremely VIP guests to debate and discuss politics, sports and any other favorite topics they want over their cigars and cognacs. The entire area is decorated with plush carpeting, gilded mirrors, oak-paneled walls, onyx and bronze sculptures and abstract paintings.

The maître d', wearing a stiff, clean, black tie and coat, recognized him instantly, gave him warm salutations and led him to the table he had reserved. The maître d' barely finished uttering the customary words of "Enjoy your stay, sir", when his voice was drowned out by his cousin's enthusiastic greeting.

"You're late!" an exasperated Tomochika Shibuya said accusingly. "You are always the epitome of being on time, and hated being kept waiting; and yet you make us wait."

Tokiya raised his eyebrows, unaffected by his cousin's mild complaint. "You have no room to complain. I'm the one paying for lunch." He sat down at the empty chair, before leaning in to receive a kiss on both of his cheek from the stunning, red-haired woman.

"Aww. I was only kidding." She said, giving another enthusiastic peck on his cheeks, before pinching it gently, removing the lipstick smudges from it. "and wipe that cocky grin of yours. Have mercy on the women inside the room. Their hearts might not survive from extreme palpitations with the amount of sex appeal oozing from this table." She gave him a wink, crimson lips glistening.

"That's rich coming from you." Tokiya nodded at the his cousin's vintage black dress, whose deep vee exposed tantalizing glimpses of creamy cleavage, "_Carousel _has impeccable service. I'd hate to rate it a low score, when the waiters, by any chance, catch hold of that image. I don't fancy wearing tomato soup on my clothes. _Your_ sex appeal is spilling on the floor." He added wryly.

"Sex appeal?" A deep voice suddenly interrupted. "Are you by any chance talking about my hotness factor, Tomo-chan?" A tall, red-haired man grinned at them, as he stepped up next to their table. He was wearing a light grey polo shirt and dark slacks, his perfect set of white teeth blinding them to oblivion. He pushed up a pair of dark sunglasses up his head.

"Otoya." Tokiya stood up and gave his closest cousin a hug, thumping his back twice. Instantly, he felt at ease when he finally is in the presence of the only two people he can act like himself. He did not realize how much he was looking forward to this small reunion lunch. How many weeks has it been since they last hang out?

He smiled at the two indulgently, when Otoya and Tomochika hugged next in front of him. The two still loved to tease each other mercilessly, as Tomochika mercilessly criticized Otoya's lack of style on his outfit, while the latter defended his choice by citing comfort and ease.

"Shall we take a seat and order?" he interrupted them both, taking the set of menu books materializing from his side. The waiters are still as quick as ever in this restaurant.

The two cousins stopped their friendly bickering, settled down on their seats and began to debate which salad and soup they would be ordering. They would have plenty of time to discuss things once they have tucked in their food.

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

By the time they finished their main course of Alaskan salmon, Otoya ordered their customary cups of coffee while Tomochika contemplated on some dessert.

"You'll get fat." Otoya quipped at her, earning a stuck out tongue in reply. He chuckled.

"Leave me alone. I've been dieting nonstop for weeks and need a break." She perused the dessert menu before pointing her order to one of the young waiters patiently waiting beside her. "A slice of your blueberry tarts, please."

"Very good, Miss." He refilled their water glasses with a flourish and left them to continue their conversation.

"This is my first time handling the annual family gathering for the Obon festival, so I really need your help on this one." Tokiya started when the waiter finally left. He lifted the cup of strong, black coffee to his lips and gulped some of the hot liquid.

"Ahhh, tt seems like it was only yesterday when were only just attending the event and not worry about a single thing." Otoya shook his head wistfully, reminiscing about the times where they used to play pranks with their other cousins, as the family gathers to celebrate and remember their dead ancestors. Those were the carefree days they enjoyed well and miss now that they are adults and handle a lot of responsibilities.

"We'll split the list of tasks between us, Toki-chan." Tomochika reassured him soothingly. "I have started clearing items from my list after you informed us a few weeks ago. The decorations, food delivery and hired extra help has been booked in advance." She nodded at Otoya, whose expression turned business-like. "I placed him in charge of managing the estate and the local residents who are invited, security of the place from others, etc."

"Good job, Tomo-chan." Tokiya praised her, relieved. He seldom, if ever, asks help when managing a lot of things. He is careful in placing a huge amount of responsibilities to other people, especially those he does not know very well. But he can always count on his two cousins, for they are always there for him through thick and thin. He took another long sip from his cup, eyed his cousin Otoya who leaned back expectantly, obviously burning with a lot of questions about the major issue of their lunch talk.

But instead of Otoya asking him, it was Tomochika who dropped the first bomb.

"Will the _mistress_ be invited?" She frowned slightly. Like the rest of the family, she did not approve of the contents of their grandfather's will, and was equally surprised when she found out about one Haruka Nanami.

Tokiya thought carefully before answering. "It cannot be helped. She will be attending it, of course."

Otoya raised his eyebrows surprised. "Won't it caused much talk if she appears? We can always shuffle her in one part of the mansion during the annual gathering." He caught hold of Tomochika nodding in agreement.

Of course he is expecting this from his cousins. And as the official head of the Ichinose clan, it is customary to hear all opinions of the relevant members of his family before he makes the final decision. Originally, he thought it prudent to hide the existence of Miss Nanami. But after he saw her, he decided to come clean about it and acknowledge her existence. It is the image of the family he is trying to preserve. And it would be in the general interest of everyone if Haruka understood her place properly. People may tend to sympathize with her if they treated her poorly. Any negative publicity that will arise from this unexpected crisis can be countered gracefully if the whole clan shows they are gracious about it.

He shook his head. "I thought about that, Toya." He said, using the childhood nickname they bestowed on him. "But I decided we might as well acknowledge her existence, since most of the tenants living within our property and the local residents have always been familiar with her. Grandfather must have kept her in residence for quite some time. In fact, they never seemed to mind her presence."

"Really? How so?"

He shrugged, finishing his coffee and signaling for a refill. A waiter immediately appeared at his elbow, bearing a steaming pot of freshly brewed coffee and poured some more for him on a new cup, before taking away the used one.

"I personally talked to the servants, Shigeru-san, the estate managers, even a few of the town residents I encountered during my stay. They all have little tidbits of stories to share about her: how she sometimes visit the local children and teach them a few songs after Sunday school, visiting the orchard to pick some fruit, getting friendly with some of the village teens." The stories they shared all seemed normal enough, nothing that will arouse any suspicion about her. In fact, he has observed that he can tolerate Miss Nanami's presence in the house. She barely talked to him, unless it is absolutely necessary. She was always busy with her lessons and always kept to herself most of the time, though he always see her at unexpected locations around the mansion; she was too absorbed with her writing on her journal during those times he can study her without obviously being too intrusive. Of course, in his own personal opinion, he finds her both annoying and distractive enough; and yet he cannot deny the growing fascination he has over her. Haruka Nanami is a distraction alright. The first few days of his stay, all he wants is to make her as uncomfortable as possible. But the mystery surrounding her keeps getting strange, and the more he tried to dig and find out about her, the more he keeps getting questions, never answers.

Not to mention that incredibly weird incident yesterday.

He made a mental note to find out about the violin she had dug up when time permits it.

"I somehow find it hard to believe grandfather Cecil has kept such a woman, and a young lady to boot. And I have to be honest, I am not looking forward to meeting her when I come to the mansion. Isn't there some way to work without meeting her?" Tomochika replied, shaking her head, still unable to believe it herself, even after her cousin has confirmed her presence himself in the ancestral home.

Tokiya let out a sigh. "I will inform her to stay out of the way whilst the preparations are being made. She won't have a problem agreeing with it. Besides, she's always busy with her school lessons and piano tutorials anyway." It's the most he can do. Haruka strikes him as the type who doesn't enjoy participating in such preparations. He will need to inform Tomochika to prepare something appropriate for their temporary resident to wear.

"Ewww. School lessons?" Tomo-chan wrinkled her nose, appalled. "She's still studying? How _old _is she?"

He raised his eyebrows in exasperation. "She just turned twenty years old. Shigeru-san has been kind enough to inform and provide what little information he has. He _did _remembered personally taking care of Miss Nanami when she first came to stay with Grandpa Cecil."

"And when was that again?" Otoya asked.

Tokiya frowned in remembrance. She had been far too young to get herself involved in such a complicated mess. "She was seventeen when she first came, according to Shigeru-san. About three years ago."

Tomo-chan made an unladylike snorting sound that caused a couple of middle-aged fine ladies dining next to their table to turn and look at them in annoyance.

"I wonder where she came from?" Otoya said thoughtfully, placing stroking his chin with his thumb and forefinger.

"No idea. I still haven't figured it out." Tokiya said. "I was hoping I can somehow gain more information from her during my stay, but.." He paused, unable to continue. _He got a little distracted by her. _

"But, isn't it a bit weird? If grandfather has been keeping her for a good few years now, how come we only heard of her just now? Where was she all these times when we came to visit him?" Otoya asked with open curiosity.

The thought did occur to him before, but he did not addressed it properly when he first heard the contents of the will. But now that Otoya has voiced it out loud, it did made him wonder. _Indeed, _Tokiya thought to himself, _where was she all those times?_

The family has always gathered annually to the _Ville _in order to pay respects to their dead ancestors. Not only that, it was the perfect occasion where they spend some time with Cecil Aijima Ichinose, as he each assessed their performance in the company, most especially him, as he is the one handling the reigns of the family's business conglomerate after stepping down from the top position. But despite his retirement, he always made it a point to oversee and check that the family business and ventures are running smoothly from time to time.

Where was Haruka during those times?

_"This mansion was nothing but a prison during my stay here. Your grandfather __owes__ me! Nothing you can say or do will repay all the debts that he has accumulated. Nothing!" _She had said to him before. He cannot forget the way her gold eyes blazed with liquid fire after she uttered those words.

Maybe the reason why he could not find anything about Haruka Nanami was because he was doing it wrong. Maybe he should start at the real beginning first. Find out about his grandfather first: the real reason why she was there in the first place.

_Is that right? Should he check out his own grandfather's background first? _After all he _needed _to check all possible angles, right? And his grandfather may be influential and god-like when he was in his prime, but that doesn't mean he does not have secrets of his own.

_Long lost words whisper slowly to me  
>Still can't find what keeps me here<em>

Tokiya stopped stirring the coffee cup he was holding. His head snapped to attention as he sat up straight, eyes widening slightly. He looked ahead, past the couple of round tables filled with the restaurant's lunch patrons, and through the clear looking glass, where one can see the busy 22nd Street filled with pedestrian traffic.

Staring right back at him, amidst the crowd of late afternoon shoppers, was a pair of liquid golden eyes that seemed to glow. And the eyes belonged to none other that Haruka Nanami herself.

**oOoOoOoOoOo**

_What the hell is she doing here? _Tokiya wondered, confused on whether to be alarmed, call out his cousins' attention on her sudden appearance or just simply ignore her. He barely even glanced on his right, when Tomo-chan continued exchanging news with Otoya, as she dug into her tart, not even minding that he was not listening to her happy chatter when she changed the subject from their grandfather's mistress to her recent exploits in Hongkong.

He focused on Haruka again and continued to look at her, standing so still like a marble statue. Her reddish-gold hair was brushed smooth, tendrils of it lifted by the gentle breeze outside; her face starkly pale against the crimson color of her painted lips. As if on cue, the _jacaranda _trees began to shed its blooms, the petals showering the streets outside with bluish-purple rain. She was wearing what looked like a vintage, black velvet mourning dress, the kind he sometimes see his aunts wear. It may be odd to see her suddenly standing there, but it's even more bizarre with the way she continued to stand across the street, as if waiting for him to come out of the restaurant, ignoring the passersby as they went about their own business.

_How did she get here? Did Shigeru-san asked one of the drivers to bring her here? _He frowned, trying to convey his displeased expression to her despite the distance between them.

And the more he looked, the more he appreciated her looks. His grandfather's mistress is enchantingly beautiful, no doubt about that. And the fiery temper in her blood makes him want to stoke it further until it blazes. How would she look like when she lies in his bed, naked between the sheets?

The unexpected question made him hard, and he swore inwardly. _Did he just thought about her in a sexual manner? _

No one seemed to pay attention to Haruka outside. She looked alone and most likely went here by herself. Standing still, unmoving, unwavering in her stance, she stared right back at him, drinking into his eyes as much as he is drinking into hers. No one seemed to mind that she stood there, in the middle of the sidewalk, staring back at him that goosebumps began to erupt at his upper arms with the intensity of her gaze.

Tokiya gripped the handle of the coffee cup he was holding, and barely noticed he was halfway out of his seat. He barely noticed Tomo-chan had stopped talking and turned her attention on him.

"Are you alright?" she asked, peering at him.

"I…" he opened his mouth. "I am not sure, I see someone I know.." he faltered. He had never been on this spot of situation before when he doesn't know what to do. Should he introduce her outright to his cousins? Or order her to go home?

"Is it one of your ex-girlfriends?" Otoya said eagerly, whipping about on his seat to take a look, before he can stop him.

Outside, Haruka blinked back at him, opening her mouth slightly as if about to say something.

Tokiya held his breath. His cousins was about to see her for the first time and he is not sure what their reactions will be. This is not the way he is expecting them to meet her. He opened his mouth to hurriedly explain, when Otoya interrupted him.

"I don't see anyone. Did she passed by so quickly? What was she wearing?"

"I…what?" Puzzled, Tokiya turned to gape at his cousin. "I beg your pardon?"

"Maybe she was in a hurry," Tomochika chirped, straining her neck to get a better look. "Did she went left or right? What was she wearing?"

_Huh? I don't understand. What are they saying? She's right in front of you!_

He was about to point at Haruka standing directly in front of him like a beacon when a large white van appeared out of nowhere, blocking his view. The vehicle meandered slowly from his left view to the right, taking its time as it made its way down the street. When he blinked his eyes again, the van has driven past, and she was gone.

Without really thinking, Tokiya released his hold on the coffee cup, almost dropping it back down to the delicate saucer with an ill-mannered clatter, and shot out from his seat and out of the restaurant.

He barely heard Tomochika called out for him.

"Tokiya? Where are you going?"

In a few seconds he burst out of the front entrance, ignoring the alarmed tone of the maître d'. "Sir, is there anything wrong?"

A strong gush of wind enveloped his entire being the moment his feet landed on the pavement, looking to his left and right. He strained his neck, pulling himself to his full height, trying to catch on the direction she went to. 22nd street has no side alleys or roads to branch out, it was a purely straight street filled with shops and boutiques. Did she went into one of them to hide?

But no matter where he looked, he could not find her. The streets are now crowded with late afternoon shoppers, taking advantage of the clear, warm weather, as they hauled their shopping bags, whilst while chatting with friends, lovers and family members who were with them. Even with his tall stature, easily towering most of the people walking up and down the street, he could catch even a trace of her black dress.

_Like catching a shadow when all I can see is light. _He thought, slightly uneasily. Why the heck was he the only one who saw her? He can't be hallucinating in the middle of the day. His mind is perfectly sound, and his vision is sharp. It has to be her. She looked as clear as any other person in this street. Except no one saw her except him. Surely there has to be a logically explanation behind this?

Resisting the urge to massage the dull headache that seemed to formed quickly, he trudged back inside the _Carousal, _wanting to stomp his foot in annoyance. What the hell is going on in here?

**oOoOoOoOo**

**A/N: Chapter title courtesy of Evanescence's Haunted. **

**The reason why the rating was put as "M" was because some of the lime and the future lemons. I don't want to change the rating, since you are all familiar with my works. Most of the stuff I posted have limes and lemon on it, so what's the point in advertising the lemons in the future chapters on the summary?**

**Please feel free to put in your reviews if you have anything constructive to say. **


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